Consort Of The Heretic
by Zmori
Summary: You've all played the game. But there are still many questions left unanswered. What's the story when the camera turns even the slightest angle away and conceals an entire story; an entire adventure hidden behind the scenes? What data is erased to ensure that this story is untold ? What secrets are hidden in the Halo legend? Care to find out?
1. Introduction

**If you already understand the Halo plot, by all means, continue to Log 01. This is to ensure that everyone is caught up, and who knows? You may learn something that you didn't know. If you're still trying to learn the story line, please, play the game first. This story runs rigorously with the actual Halo plot and it is important that the readers understand exactly what is going on.**

**Thank you for your time and understanding.  
**

Introduction To Halo

Halo was first released by Bungie Studios on November 15th, 2001.

The game is set in the future, but the story tells that there was a species before humans called the Forerunners. They were a great and intelligent race.

A parasite rose from an experiment gone wrong with the Ancient Humans pets, the Pherus, and attacked the Forerunners; a parasite known only as the Flood. The Flood infected the grand cities of the Forerunners and made their people their hosts.

The wise Forerunners knew death was eminent, and so they built a powerful weapon – a weapon powerful enough to destroy and rid their entire galaxy of the Flood's food. This included all sentient life. This weapon was called Halo, a massive ring-like structure. There were twelve originally.

The Forerunners made sure to save many different kinds of species, collecting their DNA and protecting them in tubes, programming their machines so that after the Halo rings were launched into pinpointed locations throughout the star systems, the weapons were activated and everything that breathed and grew was destroyed. The Halo rings were activated by the Didact, and the galaxy was wiped clean of all life.

After waiting hundreds of years, the Forerunner machines reactivated and set to work. DNA sample after DNA sample, species of old were regenerated and distributed though out the star systems. Humans arose from one of these samples.

The humans grew and evolved through war and bloodshed. They rebuilt only to destroy each other again.

In the 2500s, humans had begun to explore space, constantly questioning the unknown. The UNSC (United Nations Space Command) directed missions and led the humans to further evolution.

Experimentations were run on young children taken from their homes. These children were raised, trained, and built to be the perfect soldiers; to become the special forces of the UNSC. Under the direction of Dr. Halsey, the Spartans, greatly trained war machines, were created.

After establishing bases and colonies in outer space, the humans met an intelligent alien organization called the Covenant in the year 2525. The Covenant attacked the humans, this being the beginning of the 9th Age of Reclamation, and when they did, the UNSC was ready. The Spartans proved a large asset, and saved the human race from extinction.

In the first Halo game, you play as Master Chief, Petty Officer John 117, an elite spartan, the favorite of Dr. Halsey. Master Chief is sent on a mission to destroy the recently discovered Halo ring, where the Covenant lurks to activate the old weapon. The Covenant is oblivious to the fact that the ring has the power to destroy all living things in the galaxy.

On the ring, an ancient enemy rises. The Flood attacks, infecting both the Covenant and the humans. Master Chief destroys the Halo ring after fighting though mobs of Flood and Covenant.

The destruction of the Halo ring greatly upset the Covenant.

The Covenant worships the Forerunners as their gods, and in their eyes, the Halo rings were holy and sacred. The Covenant is led by an alien race called the San 'Shyuum, and their three leaders include the Prophet of Mercy, the Prophet of Regret, and the main monarchy, the Prophet of Truth.

Under the Prophets, the other races follow; the smaller Unggoy (Humans call them Grunts), the powerful Jiralhanae (Brutes), the loyal Sangheili (Elites), the great Mgalekgolo (Hunters), the swift Kig-Yar (Jackals), and the nimble Yanme'e (Drones).

Master Chief is titled the "Demon" by the Covenant after he destroys Halo, and the Supreme Commander who was responsible for protecting and activating the sacred ring was punished severely.

In Halo 2 (Released on November 9th, 2004), Thel 'Vadamee is brought before the High Council (A decision making body consisting of 200 Sangheili and San 'Shyuum of the Covenant.) and the Prophets to receive his punishment. He is stripped of his gold armor and rank before the public of the entire Covenant. He is tortured and burned, branded with the Mark of Shame, and he is considered a heretic to his people.

Forever scarred, the Prophets still give him a chance to regain his honor.

When the Covenant is in desperate need, they will don a Sangheili with an ancient armor and will allow him to lead his brethren into battle. Such a rank and title is the Arbiter. The Arbiter is already told that he will die, like all the others before him.

Thel accepts the armor and is given a second chance to make things right.

But by the end of Halo 2, the Arbiter realizes that his religion and everything that he was fighting for was corrupt. The Prophets had lied to him in saying that he was saving many lives by stopping the Demon.

Master Chief explains to him how the Halo ring was actually a weapon to rid their entire galaxy of life.

The Arbiter sees truth in Master Chief's words when the Prophets attempt to assassinate him numerous times. The Arbiter, along with most of the Sangheili, secede from the Covenant and join Master Chief on his mission to keep the rings out of the Covenant's hands in Halo 3 (Released on September 25th, 2007).

At the end of Halo 3, the Prophet of Truth is stopped and killed by the Arbiter. The Sangheili create an alliance with the humans, and a truce is held between the Covenant and the UNSC. The Arbiter and the other Sangheili return to their home planet, Sanghelios.

Master Chief is believed to be dead, and his file reads "Missing in Action". In Halo 4, (Released on November 6th, 2012 by 343 Industries after buying Halo) 4 years later, Master Chief and Cortana (An old, very special AI who has assisted Master Chief since Halo 1) unlock the mysteries of the ancient Forerunners and the history of the Flood and the warrior Prometheans on their mission to get Cortana home for repairs.

Author's Note

Hello! Zmori here.

I'd like to give you a quick heads up on how to read this fan-made series.

As you read through the story, you may note that numbers in parenthesis follow certain phrases or words. If you scroll to the very bottom of the chapter, the corresponding number will be there and will explain the unknown phrase or term for you. These facts are story or background created by Bungie or 343 Industries, NOT by us.

The asterisks, however, are facts or story created by Cyber and I, also facts provided at the bottom of the chapters.

Please note, I wrote FAN-MADE series. Halo is ©Bungie and 343 Industries, along with their characters and their story. All other characters and story are created by Cyber and I. We hope to later create a digital comic / animated series. Keep your eyes peeled.

Thank you for your time, and enjoy this ridiculous story inspired after playing a Halo 2 Co-Op Campaign.

~Zmori


	2. Log 01

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

/Access Data Logs

19 October, Year 2552

Covenant Holy City, High Charity

21:37 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 01

Even with the air filters on full blast, it was suffocating in the observation deck. The soft hum of the engines and the steady revolution of the stars across the endless space were the only indications that time was still weaving its complex threads of Fate.

Far down below High Charity, shrouded behind the enormous mass of the grand Covenant fleet, was Earth. The planet must have been vibrant and beautiful with color before the humans infested it, turning the lands brown and polluting the air with their corrupted breath. Its surface was gray and white with dark storms, hiding the disgrace of the human filth.

The Prophet of Truth intended to purify this universe, as was the will of the Forerunners. He would be known as a great leader, his name written among the Covenant legends after he rid the galaxies of the Flood and the human race who dare try to put a halt to the Great Journey (**1**) .

The Prophet pondered this in his chair, the tips of his fingers pressed together before his chin. His large milky eyes blinked lazily as he gazed thoughtfully out the large glass that opened up the entire front side of the observatory. The sun began to warm and brighten the edge of the Earth's atmosphere, turning the clouds a bright gold color as its rays stroked and streaked across the skies.

A button on the arm of his chair clicked and beeped softly, its purple light irritating his peripheral vision. He exhaled heavily through his thin nostrils and slowly lifted his arm.

"Yes?" He asked, his tone heavy with irritation.

"I bring news from the Council, noble Prophet." A deep voice rumbled through the speakers installed in his levitating chair.

"Come." He rested his forearm as the doors in the back of the room clicked loudly behind him. There were heavy footsteps on the refined metal, the honor guard's armor clacking as he walked forward.

The sangheili fell to one knee, bringing a fist to his chest in salutation. "Holy One, the Council has called for another trial."

The Prophet of Truth sighed softly. "This is the second trial in a month. The Council cannot call upon me for every little matter that arises. I have more pressing matters to attend to, Honor Guard; Fleets to command... planets to save... the Covenant to lead... a Journey to take..."

The Honor Guard bowed his head. "Of course, Hierarch. But an individual has decided to stand for the heretic."

The Prophet closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. The honor guard remained still and silent. He seemed as if he could be a statue, loyal and submissive, yet intimidating in his pose; his black and gold armor dignifying his rank as the guard of the Prophets.

"List the charges." The Prophet said wearily.

"Injury of three Jiralhanae, murder of two honor guard, (He said this scathingly), and attempt to halt the punishment of Thel 'Vadamee."

"...Why does this matter require my consent?" The Prophet inquired with a quivering arch of his brow.

"She is a female, Holy One." The honor guard spoke softly, bowing his head slightly lower in embarrassment.

The Prophet turned around slowly, his chair humming as he stared intently at the top of the honor guard's helmet. "A female Sangheili? Here? How? I was led to believe they were all on Sanghelios, protecting the planet. They are not even permitted to war." He said, his brows furrowing together in confusion on his wrinkled forehead.

"The Council is lost to the unknown, Noble One. They require your consent and careful guidance on the matter."

The Prophet brought his six finger tips together over his rounded belly, draping his dark red robes around his thin arms. His bristled chin twitched as his dangling spore-like sacs swayed with the slightest turn of his sagging neck. His chair slowly rotated back toward the open window.

"Return to the Council, honor guard. I will conduct the trial this week. Tomorrow. 1400 hours. Ensure that the Council is prepared. Alert the holy Prophets of Regret and Mercy."

The honor guard lifted his head. "So soon, Holy One?"

"Yes. I have a plan in mind. You are reprieved, 'Rolamee." The Prophet waved his hand dismissively.

The honor guard bowed his head as he stood, removing his fist from his hearts and placing it to his side. His armor began to clank against the metal floor faintly as he began to walk away.

"'Rolamee." The Prophet called without taking his gaze away from the thousands of stars stretched out before him like meaningless explosions in an endless abyss. The honor guard halted and turned his head.

"Yes, Holy Hierarch?"

"You said that the Sangheili were killed while the Jiralhanae were only injured?"

The honor guard blinked his golden eyes, flaring his mandibles, "Noble One, the Sangheili had sacrificed-"

"If the Sangheili cannot uphold their responsibilities and expectations, perhaps a change of rank is in order. Prove to me that the honor guard can protect the Covenant, and perhaps I can reconsider."

The honor guard stood silent for a while, this time, a statue of resentment and frustration. "Yes... Holy One..."

As the doors hissed and slid into the walls, the honor guard's footsteps fading down the hallways, the suffocating silence endured in the room, and the Prophet of Truth was alone with his thoughts. The sun rose over the edge of the Earth, filling the observatory with golden light.

Glorious.

**Author's Notes**

1) The Great Journey refers to the Covenant's mission to "purify the universe"; a mission, according to religion, assigned to them by the Forerunners.


	3. Log 02

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

A Fanmade Halo series

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Covenant Holy City, High Charity

13:40 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 02

Sor 'Rolamee thundered down the hallway. Anger rippled in his wake. Not only were the Jiralhanae late with the convict, keeping the Council and the Prophets waiting, but he was particularly frustrated with this female for causing him so much trouble.

He pounded his fist on the door. He could have just called in, but his impatience was overriding his need for manners and formality.

"Open up!" He shouted. The doors hissed and clacked as they parted to make way for him. He despised the prisons. They smelled of Jiralhanae piss and Fates know what else.

Sor wound his way down a hallway arranged with honor guard. Sor had to wrinkle his nose. He thanked the Forerunners that he was not assigned here.

The prison hallway was designed so that it was difficult for prisoners to find their way out. There rarely ever were prisoners inside the cells. They were either killed or released after their trial. Sor would have preferred to have called it a very unpleasant waiting room rather than a prison.

Each cell had a panel and two guards next to its two ton door. It was extremely dull here. Sor admired these guards' patience.

After a time-wasting walk through the prisons, he finally stormed up to cell B-77.

"Open it!" He snarled as he approached the guards. A few swift flickers of the panel next to the guard on the right, an unnecessary bit of beeping and lighting, the twisting of a key from the guard on the left, and the heavy door hissed, opening into a room rank with Jiralhanae.

Sor didn't have to change his pace at all. He shoved past the guards and glared at the two Jiralhanae. "Why are you late?! The High Council and the Prophets are being kept, and you are standing around doing nothing!" The Sangheili raged.

One of the Jiralhanae snorted, "She will not wake." He motioned toward the containment room. Each cell was divided into a command room and a containment room. Their purposes were obvious, and were divided by a wall of shimmering blue plasma.

Sor growled, "Perhaps I should chain you instead and take you to the Prophets so that they can punish you for your overwhelming stupidity!" He snatched a drinking bucket away from the other Jiralhanae, his water freshly filled with ice. The Jiralhanae snorted in protest but was silenced by the glare that Sor gave him.

The plasma wall shrank back at the presence of an honor guard's armor. Sor came forth and dumped the ice water on the Sangheili laying on the floor with her back facing him.

She gasped and sat up instantaneously. She coughed and shivered, her palms to the cold metal and her back bent.

"Get up!" Sor snarled. "You are late, female!" Sor had no respect for this woman, and did not hesitate to grab her around the neck and heave her up. "Stand!" She was the reason the Prophets were beginning to doubt the Sangheili. Not only were his own men killed by this female, but this made two heretics from the Sangheili race. And now, she dares to shame him again and make him late. Unacceptable.

The female stood straight, still shivering from the cold. Sor couldn't remember the last time he had seen a Sangheili of the opposite sex, but he didn't remember them being this tall. She was almost his own height, and he was a towering 7'6 ft; an average height for a male Sangheili. She turned around.

By the Rings.

Sor froze in place; an unnatural and very uncomfortable feeling for a battle-bred Sangheili. Maybe it was just because he hadn't been around females in a long time, but all he knew was that this female in particular was beautiful.

This was perhaps one of the only beings he can despise, despite the Jiralhanae, and she had to be mandible-flaring gorgeous.

Her skin was a curious gray-tone blue. (He had never seen any Sangheili with such coloration before.) She had long, slender legs and a slim, yet finely toned body. Her eyes were the most alien part to him. They were such a startling, bright blue color that they would be hard to miss even in a massive crowd. Soft hints of purple around the iris made her gaze all the more enchanting, even as she shivered uncontrollably. Sky blue freckles were flecked beside her eyes, faintly across her muzzle, down her shoulders, around her lower waist, hips, and were more densely gathered around her lower legs. Her top jaws curved underneath her muzzle, and her lower jaws were more narrowly clenched beneath them.

It was only then that Sor realized her body was bare and he was staring. Why was she nude? How long had he been standing there? His eyes narrowed in irritation and parted his four-way jaw. "Hurry." He growled to the door.

The female glared stonily cold back at him. She was not shy or submissive like most females he knew. The females he knew of were, on average, around 6 – 7 ft tall, and their skin was much darker. Their eyes never got as bright as this one's, and served only a purpose to reproduce; to train and take care of their young, and to protect Sanghelios.

Females could be very frightening, but they never show dominance over a male. It was the male's job to maintain and lead the family and go to war.

This Sangheili here was threatening. Sor was only 78 years old- an average age for any Sangheili at war. He couldn't have been gone from home that long.

This female kept her head high, fists clenched at her sides, and stood straight. Sor waited for the Jiralhanae at the door.

After about ten seconds, he pounded his fist on the wall. "What is taking so long?!" he roared.

The two Jiralhanae came through the wall, one carrying her clothes, the other holding a silver ring. The Jiralhanae in blue armor tossed the clothes to her, if they should be considered clothes at all. The female made a face as she held the wrappings out in front of her. She looked acidly at Sor.

He shrugged his shoulders, folded his arms across his massive chest, and rested his back against the hard wall. All three of them waited expectantly. The female exhaled sharply and turned around, bending over to pull the wrappings over her legs.

Damn.

"Nice view." He said, clicking his mandibles together in a smile.

"Enjoy it while you can." The female mumbled, standing upright to pull the wrappings over her hips.

His attempt to make her feel uncomfortable had failed and she knew it. Uncomfortable comments must be a familiar thing to her. No doubt this would not be the last. A single female in a city of thousands of males who haven't seen home, much less, a female, since the beginning of the war?

Yes. No doubt.

What was she thinking; coming here? What was so important that she had to leave the safety of her home planet and risk her life in this war zone? Sor's expression was heavy with thought.

"I thought we were late."

Sor blinked and looked up. She had on a dark prisoner's suit and had taken the liberty of placing the wrappings adequately around her arms and legs. The suit had to adjust to her slim chest and wide hips.

By Fate! She was right. Sor parted his mandibles, "Let us move."

The Jiralhanae clasped the silver ring around her neck and her suit was activated. Her entire body stiffened, and yet still shivered from the cold. The black suit was designed to tighten in certain areas, plugging into the prisoner's nervous system and gaining full control of their body. It was not a pleasant feeling.

"He said 'MOVE!'" The Jiralhanae roared, spitting a bit on her head and shoving her forward with the bottom of his foot.

She only wrinkled her muzzle in disgust as she was allowed to stumble ahead.

The plasma wall hissed as it conformed to their armor. The female struggled to breathe as they tore down the corridors of the restricted section of High Charity.

The walls were smooth with a strong, purple metal, a variety of different colored lights pulsing softly along the walkways and the many doors and panels. Every now and then, there would be a window where space could remind any who looked into it how puny they were compared to its galaxies.

The hallways became more elegant and attractive as they came nearer to the heart of the High Council. Inscriptions were glowing along the walls, stories and legends of great warriors and prophets stored along the ceilings. Archways rounded the corners as the corridor opened up into a colossal chamber.

A bridge led up to the Council Chamber, guarded by honor guard positioned at attention along the edges. Statues of the previous Arbiters scowled down at them, each one towering up to the ceiling, and each one marking a great moment of victory for the Covenant. The grand city of High Charity spread out underneath the bridge, its dim lights and towering buildings stretching up toward them.

"Is it not all a bit exaggerated?" The female mused. Sor walked along behind them to ensure that she wouldn't try anything. She had already taken down two of his own men, his friends, and no doubt would have killed those Jiralhanae if it were not for the sacrifice of his men. She would not shame him or his kind again. Not under his order.

"I have no time to worry about attractions or exaggerations, female. I have a duty much more important to attend to, unlike you." He snarled.

"Is that why you will not stop looking at my rear?"

Sor blinked. He hadn't realized it, nor was he thinking such thoughts, but he was indeed looking where his eyes did not belong.

He looked away immediately. His cheeks flushed a purple color (**2**) underneath his helmet and he looked down in embarrassment. This blasted female had gotten him again!

He frowned.

How had she seen him? He looked up, searching for some kind of reflection she could have used in the room. But her head was forced forward and there was nothing in the room to reflect him.

"How did you-?"

"Honor guard, did you polish your armor this morning? It is absolutely befitting." She said obnoxiously.

Armor. He looked at the Jiralhanae walking in front of her, and sure enough, on the backside of his shoulder guard was a reflection of Sor's scowling face.

The female smiled as they crossed the bridge and Sor growled ferally in warning. She was pushing his impatience toward rage. He exhaled sharply as they hurried past the lines of honor guard along the rims of the bridge.

The female squinted as they walked into the bright council room. The Council Chamber was loud. Councilors argued over the benches, some shaking their fists at each other from across the room. The Prophets sat high on their platform, looking up into the Councilor's chairs dully. They were clearly unamused with the situation.

The Prophet of Truth looked down at the prisoner's platform. He slowly rose his bony cheek from his knuckles, blinking his lazy milky eyes. He made an apathetic flick of his hand, and the entire room fell silent.

This time, everyone else felt like statues. The room was very taut. Sor felt he was the only one breathing. All heads turned and all eyes narrowed on the female. Sor had been before the Council many times, but even with all attention on the female, he felt an overwhelming wave of tension and couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable.

The female stood tall, looking each councilor in the eye. She was absolutely obstinate in her stance. Who did she think she was?

"Why is she wet?" The Prophet frowned.

"She would not wake, Holy One." Sor spoke acutely.

"Is this your excuse for your tardiness?" The Prophet droned, as if this wasn't the first time the issue had occurred. The Councilors began to take their seats as Sor began to speak.

"We would not have been so late were it not for the Jiralhanae taking their time in the cells." Sor motioned toward the two apes behind him.

"The Jiralhanae are your responsibility, 'Rolamee. You, as their higher rank, are accounted for their actions." Truth said with a sting of irritation and authority in his tone.

Sor bowed his head. "Yes, Noble Hierarch. I will ensure that it does not happen again."

The Jiralhanae smirked behind him. He would give them a suitable punishment after this trial without hesitation.

"Bring the convict forward." Truth beckoned with a curl of his long fingers.

Sor took a step back as the suit stiffened around the female, pulling her forward, alone before the center of the High Council.

"We only have records of the individuals registered here in High Charity. There are no records from Sanghelios... at least on you. Who are you, female?" Truth put quite bluntly.

There was a small pause, and the suit relaxed around her neck, allowing her to breathe more efficiently. She looked up and spoke loud enough so that all could hear.

"My name is Kalika 'Vadamai. I am a Noble of the Vadam State... and I am the consort of the heretic."

The room exploded into a sea of protest.

"The Arbiter is an aristocrat (**3**)!"

"Impossible!"

"There are no records!"

The Prophet of Truth rose his hand for silence. "Order!" Regret shouted. He didn't seem too happy to be here either.

"Thel 'Vadamee has no mate. His records would have said so." Truth pursued, placing his fingers beneath his chin.

"My name was cleared from all relating records when I became a Noble* of the Homeguard (**4**), shortly after 'Vadamee had been donned Kaidon (**5**). 'Vadamee made sure of this to protect our family from the assassinations."

A council member inquired out loud, "Your family?"

Kalika glared coldly at the armored councilor. "Did we gather before the Prophets today to discuss family issues or my sentence, Councilor?"

"Who do you think you are, female?!" The councilor shouted, rising from his chair.

"Stand down, 'Toronee." Truth said. "Control your temper."

Councilor 'Toronee glared at Kalika and she coolly returned the expression. It took will power to urge the councilor back into his seat.

Sor smacked his palm to his muzzle over his eyes. He had just been examining the ass of the Arbiter's wife. It wasn't likely that anyone in the room besides his previous company knew about it, but he still much rather to duck his head in shame and get out of there than to stand at attention as he did now.

"You are being charged of murder of two honor guard and the injury of three Jiralhanae, as well as heresy for attempt to stand against the punishment judged worthy by the High Council. It is understood that the punishment upon the convict is burning of the Mark of Shame, and execution by torture." Truth rested both arms casually across his chair as the room fell very quiet.

"Are there any objections?"

Kalika's suit contracted around her throat. No one stood or objected.

"Then this concludes this trial."

"Wait." Kalika forced the word, struggling for air. "Am I not permitted to give reasoning?"

"You are female. You have no voice or power here." One of the councilors growled.

"What reasoning? There is nothing to reason for." Another said from across the room, his voice echoing in the massive chamber.

"Let her speak." Truth mused.

The suit relaxed and Kalika inhaled before speaking again. Sor couldn't wait to see how she got herself out of this one.

"How or why I came to be here if none of your concern. I come before you now and I came at the time of punishment then because I felt strongly in the fact that Thel 'Vadamee's penalty was wrong."

The Council buzzed angrily with protest. Kalika spoke louder.

"You called him a heretic for managing a situation that he had no control over. You know this. And yet you parade him through the streets around the Council like a play toy. Where is the justice in that, Prophet of _Truth_?" She hissed his title scathingly. "The only reason of such acts would be to create an example of him."

"For what?! Are you suddenly biased by the Sangheili? You place the blame of the destruction of Halo on another just so you can smile before the crowds of High Charity without fear or resentment! Cowardice and guilt!"

"You go too far, female!"

"You dare question our judgment?!"

"Disrespect to the Prophets!"

"Heresy!"

Kalika turned her head, her eyes ablaze with anger. "Your – judgment – is – false!"

The High Council became unglued. Councilors stood up trying to shout over each other, pounding their fists as the Prophets glowered down at the prisoner. Sor had never seen the Council so unhinged.

The Prophet of Regret rose his voice high. "And is this your idea of fair judgment, 'Vadamai?"

A hologram hummed to life from his chair, floating above the council in an explosion of blue photons. The pixels contracted into defined shapes and colors as the Councilors fell silent.

Thel 'Vadamee marched with tall pride in the hologram, his golden Covenant armor glinting dimly in the faint lights of the stadium. His HUD eye contacts darkened his true gold iris and made them black instead. He was accompanied by Tartarus, High Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, highly characterized by his wispy silver mohawk. The two same Jiralhanae that had accompanied Sor walked along behind them.

They halted at the end of the ledge, the crowds of Covenant warriors pulsing with the words, "Heretic! Heretic! Heretic!" Unggoy stomped their feet. Kig-Yar pumped their fists in the air. Yannme'e chattered excitedly on the roofs of the buildings. Jiralhanae snorted in disgust at Thel, and the Sangheili pounded their staves and pole-arms into the ground.

"If they came to hear me beg... they will be disappointed." Thel said, his voice distorted through the hologram.

The High Chieftain turned. "Are you sure?" Tartarus said, staring back at him questionably with a blazing golden eye. Thel's hands were bound with silver rings, similar to the larger ring around Kalika's neck.

All of a sudden the camera turned and zoomed into the crowd along the lower tiers. Kalika immediately recognized herself darting and shoving past Covenant soldiers. Two heavily armored honor guard charged after her. The camera followed them until they disappeared behind the columns leading up toward the ledge.

Bright orange arcs of light exploded from two pillars adjacent to Thel, wrapping around his arms, electrocuting and searing his skin. His eyes widened in shock, and he turned his head, his mandibles expanding in a cry of pain.

The cameras turned again, revealing Kalika 'Vadamai unleashing a flurry of punches into a Jiralhanae's head. She had him pinned to the ground, and his helmet was still rolling away into the crowd.

An honor guard came at her flank, charging with a pole arm pointed at her hearts (**6**). She lifted her knee, spinning on her other heel, leaning away from him and lashing out with her leg. The honor guard danced to the side, his chest barely skimming across her calf. The bottom of her foot instead slammed into a poor Unggoy's head, his body crumpling to the ground with a pathetic "Thud!".

Her leg was already outstretched. She hooked the honor guard around the waist with a bend of her knee, bringing her elbow around and digging her joint into his cheek directly below the eye. He roared, baring his sharp teeth in challenge as he recovered. She was ridiculously fast. He swung the pole-arm, jerking himself free of her trap. She bent down, crouching like a feline. She fell back on her palms, swinging on her shoulders, and swung her legs against his calves. He fell down hard on his back as his feet were kicked out from underneath him.

Kalika leaped up and grabbed the shaft of his pole-arm. Twisting it, his fingers were pried from the weapon, his wrists locked. He kicked at her with both legs, but she simply tilted her head and his boot barely missed. She jabbed two long fingers underneath his leg plate directly on a nerve in his thigh. His entire leg numbed as Kalika swung the pole-arm in her other hand. It was heavy for her nimble limbs, but as the honor guard let his comatose leg fall, she grabbed the pole-arm with two hands. Its golden blade glowed as she spun it backwards so that the butt of the pole-arm faced the honor guard on the ground. She thrust it behind her under her shoulder, ramming the blade through the chest of a different honor guard trying to grab her from behind.

Sor grit his mandibles as his friend died performing his duty. Purple blood seeped through his black armor as Kalika twisted the blade deeper through his hearts. She yanked the pole-arm out and stood tall. The honor guard in front of her shook his leg, his eyes narrowing on the crumpled body of his comrade. He glared at her and even under his helmet, she could see his face contort with rage. He roared, his teeth glinting as he set a crouched, offensive stance.

Kalika curled her lip, baring her own sharp teeth. She roared a challenge in return, drawing the eyes of the confused Covenant soldiers around her, her icy blue eyes wide and pupils slitted as she crouched down. They rocketed toward each other-

Kalika choked when a large hand caught her around the throat. She was slammed down hard into the ground. As her lungs burned for oxygen, she thrust the pole-arm as the honor guard came down on top of her in attempt to pin her down. Blood slid down staff of the weapon. The blade stuck out of the back of the Sangheili's neck, lodged in between his mandibles, and his body hung there, limp.

Sor's chest aggrandized with a heavy exhale through his thin nostrils to control his anger at the scene as his friend's body was unceremoniously flung off of the pole-arm.

The Jiralhanae holding her by the throat moved in on the inside of her arm, literally sitting on top of her. He snarled as Thel let up another roar of anguish, oblivious to the situation going on behind him. Kalika spun the pole-arm before two other Jiralhanae could move in. Both of them ducked away and the Jiralhanae straddling her got smacked several times. When she flipped the pole-arm over, his face was slashed and he roared in anger, his yellow teeth gleaming with rotten saliva.

Thel was shed of his armor. His skin was smoking from the burns on his dark grey hide. His head was low, and he twitched wearily. Tartarus walked forward, snorting as he rose the brand of the Mark of Shame up into his hands.

Kalika thrashed desperately. The Jiralhane had managed to disarm her and now held her down. She shouted with rage, growling ferally and uselessly struggling.

Why was she still fighting? She was trapped. Defeated. Sor couldn't understand it. It was when the situation was most helpless that things truly began to unfold.

Kalika in the hologram circled her wrists, forcing both of the Jiralhanae's hands down. She sat up swiftly and slammed her head into the Jiralhanae's. He groaned as Kalika pulled herself up. She leaned and kicked him hard in the head. She shook her own neck as a horse would when snorting, blinking her eyes. Her helmet had absorbed most of the damage. Jiralhanae were very thick-headed. Literally. Kalika wondered if there was even any room for their brains.

Sor took this time to observe her armor. This was perhaps the only time that she wasn't a blur on the screen.

Her armor was made of a hard metal from her home planet's mountains, a traditional substance in Sangheili armor before they joined the Covenant, much like the Arbiter's armor. Her suit was ebony black, and down her belly and her back was a large blue stripe. This stripe was made from the wing of an Illura, a rare flying creature that dwelled in underground caverns and came out only once a revolution (**7**). Elegant curls and intricate symbols were engraved within the pale gold armor. Two energy daggers were strapped to her thighs and Fate knows what else on her complex belt. Soft feathers curved out from her helmet, the hocks, and the elbows of her armor. The plumage was a shimmering array of cobalt purple and icy blue feathers. He recognized that the feathers were from Shiraths; large, colorful, and friendly bird-like creatures also native to Sanghelios. The Shirath represented freedom in their culture and the Illura represented loyalty. Sor found it ironic that she was now a prisoner of her own people.

Kalika charged at Thel with incredulous speed.

"STOP!" She shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the explosion that emitted from the brand. Tartarus shoved the large brace over 'Vadamee's hearts. Thel's entire body shook as he kicked his head back, his mandibles stretching in another cry of pain. The Mark of Shame seared his flesh, scarring his chest forever with a symbol that would eternally remind others of his disgrace.

Before Kalika could get to him, a pillar exploded with orange light nearby. Kalika looked up in surprise, but was far too late to react when arcs of the electric plasma slammed her down. She cried out in shock and pain as her body was seared, racking her body with electricity and burning her with radiation and plasma. She started to crawl, dragging herself across the ground to get to Thel. The crowds were oblivious, but blinked in confusion. From their points of view, it only seemed that the orange arcs were burning Thel again.

The three Jiralhanae returned. Just as the largest, heaviest armored Jiralhanae deactivated the pillar with a press of a button on a console in his hand, the other two grabbed her by the arms. They heaved her up and she hung limply in their grasp. She still drug herself, clawing her four toes into the ground and growling. She blinked, trying to see clearly after being blinded by the neon orange beams. Her limbs flinched and twitched. She was still trying to fight.

Tartarus finally pulled the brand away, and Thel, too, hung his head. He had gone unconscious from the pain a while ago, absentminded to the world.

The hologram disintegrated before their eyes, and Sor blinked, returning to the present moment.

"Well, 'Vadamai?" Regret pursued.

Kalika looked up at the Prophet as if just recognizing his existence.

"No, Prophet. No, that is not my idea of fair judgment."

She turned her head toward the Prophet of Truth.

"It is my idea of vengeance." Then she glared up at 'Toronee. "It is my idea of standing up for what I believe in; a right that should belong to any individual with a voice... male or female."

'Toronee narrowed his pupils at her.

"For your insolence and adamency-" Truth began.

"Insolence?!" Kalika retorted, both of her eye ridges furrowing together.

Truth spoke over her, "-I have decided to better complicate your punishment."

The Council murmured in agreement.

"What is-?!"

"Instead of shaming you and executing you after suitable torture..."

Sor looked up this time, giving the Prophet of Truth a curious expression. What punishment could be worse than dying a painful death, disgraced and dishonored by your own kind?

Every eye turned to the Prophet of Truth, with perhaps the same question on their minds.

The Prophet of Truth pressed all six of his fingers before his chin thoughtfully.

"You will be scarred by the Mark of Punishment, tortured privately where you will be unheard. We cannot risk another incident such as this one. After that..." The Prophet looked up into the Council, estimating their reactions. So far, they seemed mollified by his words.

"You will be given a military rank among the Covenant. You will keep your Noble title and both of your blades."

Sor blinked in shock. The Council gaped, stunned by the Prophet's words. Kalika looked just as surprised.

"You will serve the Covenant. I will further detail you privately."

"Holy Hierarch..." An elderly Sangheili stood. He had clearly been familiar with the field of battle many times. "Surely, death would be a more suitable punishment."

"And waste such a variety of skill?" The Prophet looked down at Kalika. "I think not. Death is too easy of an escape from pain. Besides..." His lipless mouth curved into a sickening smile. "Why have her die with dishonor when she can live with it?"

Kalika glared hatefully at the Prophet of Truth, who gazed coolly back down on her.

"She will prove a distraction."

"It is against our customs to allow females to war."

The Council began to find their minds again. Some still stared dumbfoundedly at the Prophet of Truth while others began to speak up and murmur in agreement.

"Then she will operate secretly." The Prophet of Truth gazed up at the High Council. "This trial was never conducted. You will keep your mouths closed. No one outside of this room will hear of the words spoken here today, or you will face the severe consequences. All data logs will be cleared and destroyed. Am I understood?"

There was a long silence. Each councilor bowed their head. The Sangheili curled their fists over their hearts and the San 'Shyuum rose their fingers and opened their palms.

Truth nodded. "Honor guard, take Kalika 'Vadamai to the Observatory room. She is to wait there until I arrive."

Sor bowed his head. "As you wish, Noble One."

The ring reactivated around Kalika's neck and the suit contracted. Sor led her alone down the walkway, leaving behind a silenced Council Chamber. "You could not keep your mouth shut." He growled as they walked.

Kalika smiled softly. "No... I have them right where I want them."

Sor stopped and turned around. He glowered at her, activating his energy blade. The plasma hissed and sparked to life, wispy clouds falling from its edges. Its blue light lit up his face as he thrust the edge to her throat, growling, "I do not know what you are planning, female. But let me warn you now. If you dare desecrate my honor again... if you dare harm my cause... my brothers, again..." He pressed the blade as far as it would go without slashing open the suit. "I will kill you."

Even with the suit on, she could feel her skin tingling with the heat of the plasma. She looked unblinkingly at him and slightly tilted her head. "And would an honorable soldier such as yourself draw arms on a weaponless, bound Sangheili?" She asked innocently.

Sor curled his lip. "You are not Sangheili." He deactivated his sword and clipped it to his thigh. "Not to me." He turned away with a snort, and led on. Kalika's mandibles pulled up into a soft smile and followed willingly.

**Author's Notes**  


2) Purple is the color of blood of the Sangheili race.

3) Aristocrats, or swordsmen, do not marry and are the only ranks permitted to carry a plasma sword. They may mate with whichever female they choose, married or unmarried, in order to pass on the swordsmen genes. Most higher ranking Sangheili are aristocrats.

4) The Homeguard are the female soldiers on Sanghelios.

5) A Kaidon is a Sangheili leader of a state on Sanghelios. It is traditional that assassins pursue a new Kaidon to test his abilities in combat.

6) Sangheili have two hearts. This enables them to live twice as long as a human.

7) A year.

* A Noble is the equivalent of an aristocrat, but is female and is allowed to carry a sword.


	4. Log 03

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

and ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Covenant Drop Ship Flying Over Forerunner Gas Mine, Planet Threshold

15:46 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 03

Thel 'Vadamee pulled the ancient suit over his body. It was surprisingly fit for such an old model. The blue stripes were the most recognizable design of the Arbiter's suit. It was ebony black to contrast his heavy armor.

The silver metal reflected his face in its bright surface, but Thel saw only uncertainty there.

Only a couple of weeks ago, he was the Supreme Commander of an entire Covenant fleet. Then he was a heretic to be executed and shamed. He was a disgrace to his kind. And now, for whatever reason, the Prophets saw fit to give him a chance to redeem his honor and give him the highest rank possibly achieved among the Sangheili – the Arbiter.

Everything was happening so fast. What was supposed to come next? His standing and rank was shifting around so much to the point that he had to ask himself...

Who am I?

His hands answered him by turning the helmet forward and lifting it upward. He bowed his head and pulled it on top of his neck guard. The metal was cold against his muzzle, but it was a perfect fit.

He may not know who he was.

But he knew what he was supposed to do.

"Come on, beautiful." A voice said from behind him. Thel turned his head. Rtas 'Vadumee walked dismissively behind him, dressed in full white battle armor. Thel arched an eye ridge as Rtas patted the shoulder of the Stealth Sangheili (**8**) next to him. "Let's move." He yelled, walking toward the open doors of the drop ship.

The other soldiers stared at the Arbiter as they passed by him. Thel stood to the side for a while, watching Unggoy pester each other as they pattered their way up to the drop ship.

Thel exited the armory with the other Sangheili. Stray Unggoy ran around their feet, chattering and hurrying toward the ship. Some of them were too slow and were shoved around by Sangheili boots. A Stealth Sangheili got too annoyed and kicked an Unggoy away from him. The critter wailed as he flew through the air, landing on his face inside the ship.

Everyone acted as if nothing had happened. Armor clacked and pounded as heavy footfalls proceeded up the ramps. The ship was dark and slightly chilly inside. There were no windows and no seats. The Unggoy lined up in the middle as the Sangheili arranged themselves along the walls. Thel positioned himself in the back next to the door to the cabin. Rtas disappeared into the cabin and left his lieutenant, Arsen, to attend to the men.

The hangar door hissed and began to pull up, closing with a soft click as the engines began to roar. Thel turned his head when the door next to him opened and slid into the walls. A minor came through, looking slightly rattled as if he had just walked in on something that he should not have seen.

"Sir..." He walked up to Arsen, stopping at attention in front of him. "A... spec-ops has been assigned to this mission."

Arsen frowned. "Why? We have enough soldiers as it is and we have the Arbiter to put down the heretics."

The minor bowed his head. "The Prophets have selected this exception to accompany this mission in secrecy."

Arsen exhaled sharply. "Bring him in."

The minor parted his four-way jaw as if to say something more, but he shook his head and turned. He disappeared into the door beside Thel again.

Thel frowned. He sniffed the air again. No, that couldn't be right. He checked again. And again. He didn't need to turn his head when Kalika 'Vadamai walked out from the door. His entire body stiffened.

What was she doing here?! How?! Why?! He finally willed himself to look at her with a wide golden eye. She glanced at him for a second and then turned her head away as if that one look was supposed to explain everything.

Even the Unggoy looked up in surprise at Kalika. All heads eventually turned to see what everyone else was looking at.

"Oh, hell no." Arsen growled.

"My thoughts exactly." Thel said, crossing his arms disapprovingly across his chest.

Kalika looked at Thel for real this time, smiling a sarcastic smile. "It's nice to see you, too."

Arsen snorted. "You know her?"

Thel scoffed. He narrowed his eyes, "You could say that."

Kalika and Thel almost glared at each other. Thel was so aggravated by her presence that he could feel his jaws twitching. He had left Sanghelios and gone to war all of these long years to ensure her protection. What was so important that she had to endanger herself and throw away years of fighting in this war-zone?

Oh gods.

And now he had to protect her from all of these goddamn aristocrats. Thel exhaled sharply through his thin nostrils, turning his head away from her. They were on their way now to perhaps one of the most dangerous zones possible; a forerunner gas mine swarmed with heretics who despise the Covenant, and not to mention the giant radioactive storm that just so happened to be on its way to the mine. Their mission was to kill their leader, Sesa 'Refumee, and put out the heretic's lies.

Arsen squinted his red eyes. "Like hell I'm allowing a female on board." He spat. He looked Kalika up and down. "Much less, let her fight among our ranks."

The minor behind Kalika looked up. "The ship-master would like to see you, sir."

Arsen sighed and shoved past Kalika, growling deeply as he entered the cabin. Kalika curled her lip at him over her shoulder. She looked up at Thel again, crossing her arms over her chest. "I see the Arbiter's armor has not recognized you yet."

Thel blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He looked down at his armor. Kalika shook her head.

"Nobody ever remembers." She sighed, looking toward the other Sangheili as if they were some sort of exception to her statement. They stared blankly at her.

She sat up off of the wall. "Before the Arbiter's armor is forged, an AI clones and places a part of itself in each of the armor models. It is a very primitive AI with a sense of honor, and will 'recognize a true Arbiter', turning the armor gold. Fal 'Chavamee (**9**) wore gold armor because the technology recognized him as a 'true Arbiter' for standing for what he believed was right, despite the Prophet's consent. Ever since the Prophets declared the Arbiter to be a rank given only to disgraced Sangheili, the armor has remained silver since. Take Ripa Moramee (**10**) for example."

Kalika put a finger to her lower mandible.

"You know... I find it ironic. Ripa Moramee... is considered one of the greatest and most loyal of the Arbiters to the Covenant, and yet his armor never recognized him." Kalika began to walk slowly down the walkway. The closer she got to the soldiers, the stiffer their postures became. The ripple effect was amusing to Thel. "Fal 'Chavamee was considered a heretic... and yet..." She leaned against the wall next to a Stealth Sangheili on the very end of the line. She smiled, "I suppose the Prophets never cared to share that information with you, now, did they?"

The black-armored soldier refused to look at her. His mandibles were gritting together and his fists were clenched. Whether he was angry, disturbed, maybe even both, it was hard for Thel to tell. Kalika stood there, looking up innocently with her intense eyes.

"Stop pestering my men, female." Rtas growled as he entered with a stormy entrance. Kalika shrugged herself off of the wall and walked slowly down the walkway once again.

"You are looking well, Rtas."

He strode up to her, ignoring her greeting, drawing himself up to look down at her. "I am to allow you on this mission despite our law." He said loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "But you will follow my orders and do exactly as you are told. You may be a Noble, but consider yourself a rank lower than even a minor. Am I understood?"

Kalika stood straighter and pounded her fist to her chest in salutation. Rtas turned his head away, curling his lip, "Get in line."

Kalika put her fist to her side and turned away, walking to the same wall Thel stood against. She set herself in the opposite corner and drew herself up.

Thel exhaled heavily. He would have a long talk with her in privacy when he got the chance.

Bright blue rings activated on the floor around the feet of each soldier, indicating that they were in space and on their way. The ship became very dark, and the only lights available were thin blue rods embedded in the armored walls.

Arsen paced up and down the walkways, checking armor and ensuring his men were in their best fit state.

When he came up to Kalika, he looked her up and down. "What is this?" He asked, pulling up on her chest plate. The armor clicked and pulled upwards with his motion. Kalika grabbed his hand, making him frown.

"I do not fight like you do. My armor adjusts to match my speed and flexibility. It's designed to absorb and distribute damage, not take it."

Arsen pulled his hand away. "You designed it?"

"Yes sir."

"What of the feathers?" He nodded toward her helmet.

"Excellent shock absorbers... sir." She tilted her head slightly at the last word.

Arsen made a "hmph" sound of, perhaps, interest. "And these?" He made sure not to touch this time and motioned toward two rectangular prisms strapped to her thighs.

"My swords."

She pulled on one as Arsen took a step back. The strap clicked at her touch and the prism in her hand began to pulse a soft blue glow along the intricate designs in its black surface. She slid one thumb along a particular stripe as she put her arm out in front of her, angling the prism horizontally.

Plasma sparked and shot out one end in a flurry of silver-blue light.

"_Skira _(**11**)."

She activated the second prism, lighting the room with a silver-purple color.

"And _Anari_ _ (_**12**_)_."

She held the swords out in an "X" in front of her. Each plasma blade was as long as her arm. The blades shimmered and hissed as they took their forms and fizzed against each other. Dark and elegant lines, circles, and other intricate designs were notable along the centers of the blades. The blades themselves were curved as if they were each half of a full energy blade.

With another swipe of her thumbs, the plasma shrunk and dissipated into the air. She clipped the rectangular prisms against the straps on her thighs, standing straighter as the straps automatically secured the prisms.

Arsen looked up. "And your assigned sword (**13**)?"

"_Sarin (_**14**)."

"Why do you not have it equipped?"

Kalika smirked. "If I did, it would tear this ship apart."

Arsen arched an eye ridge at her. "Oh?"

"Any other questions?" She asked subtly.

He tilted his head slightly, blinking his green eyes. He squinted and his pupils narrowed as if pondering something. After a long pause he asked in a low voice, "You have no respect for the military, do you?"

Kalika narrowed her eyes this time. "I have no respect for people who treat others as if they are machines." She corrected.

"Machines?" Rtas 'Vadum asked in amusement as he also returned from checking his men. Arsen took a step back and took his place in line with the others as the Special Operations Commander stepped forward before Kalika.

"Stuffing information into one's mouth and then expecting them to believe whatever you want them to believe, to do whatever you want them to do." Kalika said with a respectful bow of her head toward Rtas.

"And if we did not have order, if we did not tell them what to do, we would only have chaos." Rtas said.

"I completely agree with you." She lifted her head. "But let them follow you because they believe it is right." She glanced at Thel for a moment. "Not unwillingly or... blindly."

Rtas stared at her for a while. "Even as we are bound by our eternal oath?"

Kalika tilted her head. "And what oath is that?" She asked with a quirk of an eye-ridge.

Rtas smirked and pulled away, looking among his men. He rose his eye-ridges, "A woman who speaks her mind."

Thel's cheeks tugged upward slightly in the equivalent of a Sangheili smile. If they only knew...

Rtas began to walk up and down the walkways, shouting, "Warriors of the Covenant!" The Unggoy and the Sangheili stomped at attention.

"When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath!"

The soldiers replied in unison, "According to our station! All without exception!"

Rtas made a fist at the air before his waist. "On the blood of our fathers... on the blood of our sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant!"

A powerful chorus resounded, "Even to our dying breath!"

The Special Operations Commander continued down the walkway again, walking toward Kalika. "Those who would break this oath are heretics, worthy of neither pity nor mercy!" He spat, passing by a pair of Unggoy who were clearly unamused by his words. One altered the breathing apparatus of the Unggoy in front of him, pumping more methane into his tank. The Unggoy jittered in irritation, fussing in his speedy language at the other as he fumbled to fix the large tank on his back. "Even now, they use our Lords' creations to broadcast their lies!" Rtas continued as he passed Kalika.

"We shall grind them into dust!" The warriors growled.

Rtas stopped and turned. "And continue our march for Glorious Salvation!"

The soldiers stomped their feet again. Rtas turned his head toward Kalika. "That... is our oath." He said in a low voice.

Kalika crossed her arms across her chest, putting the bottom of her foot against the wall. "Inspiring." She mused as he walked away from her.

Rtas instead walked toward Thel, ignoring Kalika's comment. He looked the Arbiter up and down before stopping in front of him.

"This armor suits you... but it cannot hide that mark." He said with unblinking eyes.

Kalika looked down at Thel's chest, where, indeed, she knew the mark scarred him where she had failed.

"Nothing ever will." Thel replied.

Rtas' mandibles moved back and forth rapidly as he spoke, "You are the Arbiter, the will of the Prophets. These are my Elites." He motioned his head toward the soldiers behind him. Thel gave them a glance as Rtas continued, "Their lives matter to me, yours does not."

Thel met Rtas' thoughtful stare with an unwavering expression of certainty, "That makes two of us."

Rtas seemed as if he was about to smile, but instead tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hm."

The ship began to rumble faintly as they drew closer to a storm outside. A channel opened and a Jiralhanae spoke from Rtas' communication device. "Leader! There is no doubt. The storm will strike the facility!" The pilot said with a tinge of desperation.

Kalika couldn't understand a word that the pilot had said, but Rtas turned away and answered, "We'll be long gone before it arrives."

The blue rings began to glow brighter around their feet as the ship tilted upwards and rumbled to a stop.

"Prepare for departure." The pilot said over the intercom. Kalika sighed softly and sat up off of the wall. The circles lowered themselves under the soldiers and disappeared underneath the floor. Instantaneously, shimmering blue rays of light engulfed each soldier. They levitated there until they were pulled downward and disappeared to the ground below.

Kalika and Thel looked at each other for a moment. She smiled and motioned toward the ring in front of him. "Ladies first."

Thel hesitated and stared at her with irritation. But he exhaled sharply and stepped into the ring, feeling the pull of the blue light on his body. Kalika considered dropping in above him... but thought better of it and instead took the ring on the opposite side.

Thel touched down on the ground, turning his head to observe his surroundings. Even with the storm as far away as it was, he could feel it's winds hissing through the air. He assumed that they would only get worse as the storm progressed. He stood, drawing his energy sword and activating it.

"Warriors, prepare for combat." Rtas said over the communications device. Kalika followed Thel who began to run toward an opening in the floor and followed the other soldiers down the ramp. "We are the arm of the Prophets, Arbiter. And you are the blade. Be silent and swift, and we shall quell this heresy without incident." Rtas motioned toward a large door in the wall as Thel and Kalika came to the lower floor.

Kalika frowned and looked up at Thel, "Is he talking badly of me?"

Thel frowned as well, "Where is your communications?"

"They failed to give me one. They did not want me to be recorded or get access to their stations. I can't imagine why..."

_Yes. I can only imagine._

Thel turned his head toward her, "In that case, yes."

"Cowardly bastard." Kalika growled.

They approached Rtas who took cover behind a large storage container as his men worked on hacking into the doors.

This was Thel's chance to get some answers.

"Commander, I would like to request a few minutes of privacy and absence from communications." Thel said.

Both Rtas and Kalika looked up at Thel. Rtas frowned, "There will be no mating in the field."

This time, Thel and Kalika both scowled down at Rtas.

The Commander exhaled and spoke into the coms, "How much time until you can get that door open, engineers?"

"Only a couple of minutes, sir." Arsen said.

Rtas nodded his head toward the other storage devices. "Make it quick."

Thel took the lead and walked with long strides to the other end of the platform. Kalika followed him behind one of the towering blocks.

"Look, if you're upset because I called him a– what are you-?" Kalika's body stiffened as Thel wrapped his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

Eventually, she began to relax and returned it. He may be frustrated with her, but it didn't change the fact that he had missed her. He reminded himself that he didn't have much time. He pulled away reluctantly and his expression again shifted into one of irritation, "How is it you are here?"

Kalika blinked up at him, her hands resting on his waist, "By ship."

"Do not play games." He growled, deactivating his coms. "Why are you here?"

Kalika's face darkened and she lowered her eyes. Thel's expression softened as she began to speak.

"They came to the keep... and brought your body." She said gently. "They told us you were dead." She looked up at him this time. "I had to know the truth."

Thel blinked in horror, "You left our children alone?!"

"Quiet!" Kalika hissed when he rose his voice. "Of course not!" For whatever reason, she turned her head to check behind herself. "The Homeguard-"

"Let's move!" Rtas bellowed as the Sangheili warrior pulled away from the flickering screen beside the door. Thel's chest rumbled with a growl of irritation.

They pulled away from each other and walked out from behind the storage container together. He pointed a long finger at her, "This conversation is not over." He said as he started to run toward the battalion entering the building. Kalika trotted along behind him.

"Unless, you know, one of us dies in the next couple of minutes." She commented.

Thel groaned, "You were always a show of optimism."

"I try."

"Silence." Rtas hissed. Thel reactivated his communications and walked inside swiftly. He turned and positioned himself against a second door. They stood in a smaller room made of metal and white concrete with a metal pillar supporting the high ceiling.

"Where is the female?" Arsen inquired, searching the room as the first wall of doors he just came through shut behind him.

Thel turned his head, not realizing that Kalika had disappeared. She was just behind him. "She can't be far." Thel mumbled, flaring his nostrils for her unique scent. It was almost as if she had vanished completely.

She had a bad habit of doing that.

"Engage active camouflage. Reveal yourselves only after the Arbiter has joined battle with the enemy!" Arsen commanded, activating his own camouflage device. His figure disappeared, save for a faint outline where the light bent. Every one else also shimmered away from view and they all stood still and silent, waiting for the Arbiter.

Thel didn't activate his sword, but held the handle up to his chest as his form, too, vanished.

"You may wish to do the same, Arbiter. But take heed. Your armor system is not as... new as ours. Your camouflage will not last forever." Rtas warned.

_...You could have told me that before I activated my camouflage._ (**15**) But he did not say that out loud.

The doors clicked and parted into a much larger room. The soldiers quietly entered and Thel waited as his camouflage recharged. Just as the last soldier stalked out of the door, something caught Thel's eye. Two floating eyes stared at him from the wall in front of him. Thel blinked as one of the bright blue eyes winked at him and then both vanished from sight.

Thel shook his head, arming his weapon and camouflaging himself as he turned the corner, proceeding into the gas mine.

**Author's Notes****  
**

8) The Sangheili Covenant Ranks are as follows from lowest to highest: [Infantry: Minor, Major, Ultra, General] [Specialists: Stealth, Ranger] [Special Operations: Spec-Ops, Special Operations Officer, Special Operations Commander] [Honor Guard: Honor Guardsmen, Honor Guard Ultra] [High Commanders: Zealot (Fleet, Ship, and Field Masters), Field Marshal, Supreme Commander, Imperial Admiral] [High Council: Councilor]

9) Fal 'Chavamee was an Arbiter, featured in a Halo episode called The Duel, who stood for what he believed in and disagreed with the Prophets. In doing so, they killed his wife after torturing her.

10) Ripa Moramee was another Arbiter featured in Halo Wars. He was extremely loyal to the Prophets and was killed in battle after having a... let's say... inflammation of the ego.

11) Brother Of War

12) Sister of Evanescence

13) Every Aristocrat/Noble that earns a sword is "assigned" to it. It is considered a part of them. This is why a Sangheili's sword is so important to them. It is unheard of to have a "dual-wield" sword, like 'Vadamai's. Their assigned weapon is often named, and can be referred to as their "assigned blade" or "soul blade", etc.

14) Twins Of Fate

15) Even Thel made that stupid mistake. Way to go, Rtas. Way to go.


	5. Log 04

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

Edited by ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Forerunner Gas Mine, Planet Threshold

16:32 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 04

Kalika 'Vadamai made no noise as she crept up a steep ramp. She made sure to breathe slowly, inhaling through her nose and exhaling through her mouth only when she needed to. Adrenaline was already pumping through her veins. It was a familiar feeling to her, thus she had no issue steadying her hands over her swords. She pressed herself up against the wall as a heretic rounded the corner.

She stopped moving and held her breath as the armored Sangheili marched past her. He stopped at the foot of the ramp, lifting his nose to the air and sniffing loudly. Kalika kept her eye on him as she crept further up the ramp.

"What is it?" Another called from the floor where Kalika could see the camouflaged Covenant Stealth team spanning the room.

"I smell..." The soldier turned around and looked up the ramp. Kalika froze. "...Female."

The other smirked, "Missing Sanghelios, are we?"

"Silence." The heretic growled, drawing his large carbine up and walking slowly back up the ramp. Another rounded the corner and stopped at the top of the ramp. Kalika was trapped and the heretic was slowly closing in on her.

She gripped her swords tightly as he stopped in front of her, sniffing and searching. Where was Thel?

The heretic looked directly at her. It was now or never.

The other heretic on the ground floor let up a cry of pain. The Sangheili turned his head immediately, giving Kalika the opening she needed.

Skira hissed to life and bit through the heretic's neck. He choked and coughed blood gutturally. As Kalika's camouflage fell away and she kicked him hard in the chest, he widened his eyes at her. She was his last reminder of home as his body fell over the edge and crumpled into the bloody ground below.

Kalika spun around as glowing bolts of plasma streaked past her helmet. She yanked her head back, pulling Anari and Skira up to protect her upper body. She began to walk forward, swinging her swords' edges through the middle of needler shards and fizzing bullets of plasma. Her pace quickened as she dodged, slashed, and hacked. She advanced on the Sangheili heretic before her running at full speed. The heretic began to run backwards, his arms jerking as he fired his weapon at her. She leaped up ridiculously high with her bovine legs. As she sailed through the air, the heretic kept the point of his gun trained on her.

She touched down behind him. His head was bent all the way back already from shooting at her above him. She spun on her heels, falling to one knee to duck under some bolts that she anticipated were coming at her from behind, and slashed through the back of the Sangheili's neck. The bullets flying from his comrade's guns that were intended for Kalika instead embedded themselves in the Sangheili's upper torso. Kalika also kicked him hard down the ramp to join his friend.

The frenzied she-warrior spun around and glared at the Unggoy behind her. They blinked at her for a moment, trying to comprehend what had just happened. She curled her lip and growled as a feline would when it had trapped and cornered its prey.

Meanwhile, Thel charged at the enemy as he made his way up the opposite ramp, expertly swinging his plasma blade through energy shields and stabbing through the heretics' hearts. The Covenant warriors followed behind him, firing weapons and throwing bright blue grenades into enemy throats. By the time they reached the top of the slope and made it to the top of the wall, Thel watched as Kalika already leaped over the edge and into the enemy territory below. She camouflaged in mid-air and landed on top of a crate of plasma being pulled along by a long strip of blue beltways.

Thel ran to the other side of the wall and took the ramp down as the rebels looked around in confusion at the sudden noise. They lifted and armed their weapons wearily. Thel activated his camouflage and ducked behind an armored crate, arming his sword for his target on the other side of the wall.

They were in some sort of mining deposit room. Plasma barrels bound together by metal pillars and contained by a clear glass within sat on a shimmering light blue strip of plasma. Large structures stood up at certain points alongside the two angled strips, providing suitable cover yet annoyingly blocking his view of the layout.

Thel spun around the corner, activating his plasma sword under his arm as his stealth device dissolved. With an outstretch of his arm, his blade slashed into a dead heretic's neck. Thel blinked at the sword already embedded in his head and frowned up at Kalika, "I had him."

"Well, I saw him first." Kalika called, leaping off of the large rectangular structure and onto another rebel. Thel followed her as heretic soldiers came at them from the sides. He pounded his fist into a surprised Sangheili's face. The Arbiter turned his head away and held his sword close to his body as he proceeded further down the slope of the beltways of plasma.

Kalika struggled to hold off a much bigger opponent on the beltway. They both hit, cut, and punched at each other as they were both carried along the strip carrying them down toward a large hole in the ground. This Sangheili was particularly tall and very well built. When she got too close, she regretted it and found herself in a close-combat situation with some one who was much bigger than she was. He swung his powerful fists at her as she ducked under his leg. She kicked hard at his knee and watched as he began to stumble. Instead of falling to his knees as she had expected, he used the momentum to bend his leg backwards and kicked her hard in the muzzle. Her head snapped back and slammed down heavily on the belt with a crackling noise of plasma against armor. The warrior reached down and grabbed her around the throat. He easily lifted her up off of the the ground and smiled cruelly at her as she clawed at his wrist.

The only reason that Kalika realized she was falling was because her stomach suddenly lurched up into her chest. She watched as the Sangheili holding her released his hold on her and disappeared into an abyss with a plasma crate. Kalika blinked in confusion and looked up.

The Arbiter growled with strain as he held her up by the wrist. She wrapped her fingers around his forearm as he lifted her up. "How many times do I have to pull you out of a big dark hole?" Thel grumbled as Kalika found her footing on the ground next to him.

"I had to pull you out of mine, last I saw you." Kalika mused with an arch of her eye-ridge. A tall Covenant soldier blinked at them both.

"Last I saw you was two years ago." Thel reminded her.

"I still have the bruises." she sighed.

Thel rolled his eyes and pulled away from her, checking the area for any other enemy soldiers. "That's sixty three for me." He mumbled.

Kalika began to chortle in amusement. "You still remember the count?"

"Always."

"Then you'll remember that you still owe me twenty-three more." She reduced her chuckles to smiles.

Thel frowned, "Twenty-two."

Kalika shook her head. "Remember Reth?"

"That was seventeen years ago."

Rtas sighed in exasperation. "Have you all obtained the minds of children?" he inquired more to himself than anyone else.

"He started it." Kalika said, following the Arbiter to regroup with the Covenant Special Operations.

Just before Kalika and Thel passed by a large block structure, out of nowhere, a rebel Unggoy rounded the corner in front of them, flailing two armed plasma grenades in each hand.

The Arbiter spun around and slammed his palms to the wall at either side of Kalika's head, pressing his body up against hers just as the grenade exploded in a flash of blue and red. The Arbiter's shields flared purple and then resettled. "NOW it's twenty-two." He said softly so that only she could hear. He pulled away form her again and followed Rtas without waiting as Kalika stared after him.

Two ramps on either side of the sloped platform lead down to a lower floor underneath. Inscriptions and simple designs arrayed on the walls did little to appeal to the Covenant soldiers. The squad silently ran down the ramps, recharging carbines and plasma rifles as they went. Again, Kalika was no where to be found, but most could track her recognizable scent to the edge of a large opening into another twisting hallway.

The place may be a mining facility, but it was obviously designed for prevention of a break in. It was the perfect battle-field for surprise, making it a bit too easy to sneak up on the enemy, whoever that may be. The hallways twisted unnecessarily and crates, containers, and plasma charges were coincidentally placed about the floors.

Kalika scouted ahead. Her palms were on the ground, her waist low, and her legs flexibly outstretched behind her and under her belly. She prowled around a corner and watched two Unggoy in maroon-gold armor waddle toward her. The bright blue liquid in their tanks sloshed around as they chattered to each other.

She pulled back and reactivated Anari. She inhaled quietly and prepared for a sneak attack.

Thel suddenly charged around the corner with a hot plasma grenade and tossed it at the Unggoy. He pulled back next to Kalika and held up his energy blade. As the walking Unggoy flailed his arms and the grenade exploded, Kalika threw her arms up in the air.

"Okay, now you're just being an ass hole."

Though Thel couldn't see her, he could feel the change in the air as she rounded the corner. He reached and grabbed her wrist. Kalika glared at him as he pulled her back.

"Please don't get yourself killed."

Before Kalika could reply, the sounds of heated needlers popped repeatedly behind her. She stepped behind his leg and grabbed the top of his chest plate. She shoved him down hard and they both fell to the ground as a sticky grenade sailed over their heads and instead landed on the wall behind them. Kalika's camouflage fell away in a hissing manner. She leaned down next to his ear and whispered softly, "Twenty-three again."

She rolled off of him and looked up as the grenade exploded and the team of Stealth Covenant came running through the entrance. Kalika disappeared and grabbed Thel's forearm, heaving him to his feet.

Thel spun around, wielding his sword once more and charging behind Kalika toward the enemy. As the heretics focused their fire on the Arbiter, Kalika sneaked behind them. Thel let up a battle cry and the Covenant warriors followed behind him.

Kalika sliced her sword through an Unggoy's throat, smashing his tank with the butt of her other sword. The Elite next to her whirled around with his gun as she leaned to the side on one leg. She dug the bottom of her foot into his face with enough power to kick his head back. She spun and crouched, leaning in the same direction and swinging her arm out in a fluid stroke. The plasma blade slashed across his chest. Arsen came up behind the heretic and shoved his energy sword up into his back and out his chest as Kalika flipped her sword in her palm and dug the tip of her blade through his belly.

They both pulled their swords out of his body at the same time. The enemy choked as his blood trickled along his mandibles and seeped from the crevices in his armor. To ensure his death, she spun around, flipping her sword again and slashing through his throat behind her. She kept the movement going and flicked her sword upward to leave a large gash across another Sangheili's face. He cried out, only to be silenced by a mouthful of plasma as Rtas lit him up with his rifle. Thel closed in on the last opponent. The rebel growled and lowered his stance, baring his teeth at the Arbiter. Thel didn't hesitate to kick off of the ground and charge. They both activated their blades with a series of hissing and spatting noises at the same time, and at the same time they thrust their swords at each others' throats.

Their swords clashed again and again in a flurry of expert swings and ferocious slashes. His opponent attacked repetitively, and Thel blocked, parried, and finally stepped to the side to let him stumble past him. Thel managed to slash him across the back with the tip of his blade. The heretic spun around and came at him again.

The Sangheili slammed the flat of his energy blade against Thel's. They shoved hard against each other. Now it was a test of strength. Their arms shook as they pushed as hard as they could against the other.

It was obvious that Thel was winning. Thel took a step forward, shoving him backward, and slid his sword upward along his. When the tip of the blades were barely touching, Thel suddenly rotated his sword and pulled it downward again so that the inner spoke of his blade slid down the middle of the heretic's. Thel held his sword up horizontally and shoved it deep into the rebel's chest. Thel tore his plasma sword out and turned away as the enemy fell to the ground onto his knees.

"You know not... what you're fighting for... Arbiter." The enemy gasped as he clenched his palm over his wound. Thel stopped. "The Prophets... have blinded you... please see reason... before it is too late..." The Sangheili fell onto his chest and lay silent.

Thel stood there and stared for a while at the wall across from him. Arsen growled and continued down the hall, "Do not let them corrupt you. You are the Arbiter. You have no right to be infested with their trickery."

The Special Operations Commander took the lead and his men followed closely behind with their weapons at the ready as they rounded the corner. Thel followed and shook his head. Arsen was right. He couldn't allow himself to be led astray.

Bodies were strewn across the floor. Thel blinked and looked up. Kalika was leaning against the opening into what looked like a large elevator. She looked up from scraping blood off of her gloves. "You took your time."

The soldiers stepped around and over bodies. Several wrinkled their noses at the intense metallic smell. They boarded the elevator and lined up against the walls. Kalika looked up as Thel stepped on last. She hopped on at the last moment after Thel pushed a button on the holographic console.

Faintly through the thick walls of glass, they could make out a large ship hangar. A Covenant ship hovered in the middle of a wide room. Kalika had disappeared again and silence crept on the men as they anticipated the battle to come.

"Sentinels!" A soldier said. "The holy warriors of the sacred rings. Why have they sided with these heretics?"

Sure enough, floating machines with metal fins and glowing blue lights lifted plasma crates within their anti-gravitational tools down below. A silence filled the elevator as they watched.

"Are you two... um...?" A single soldier next to Thel began. The Arbiter looked down at him with an arched eye ridge. "...Together?"

"She's my wife, yes." Thel turned his head away.

"...Oh." The soldier nodded and looked back down at the floor. "Is she always that..." Thel arched his ridge at him again. "...Nice?" He finally stuck to a word.

Thel looked up as the elevator began to slow down. "I don't think Kalika should be the most of your concern at the moment."

The soldier on his other side elbowed him hard in the ribs for his stupidity as the group fell quiet. The elevator opened into the hangar, and with it, an obstreperous rally of plasma rained down on them. Their shields flared a bright purple to protect their wearers. The Stealth group disappeared entirely and they split apart. Each individual took their place and dispersed through out the room jut as they had planned before they had arrived at the facility.

"Arbiter, clear the hangar and open its doors so I may drop the second batch." The pilot suddenly came in over the communications.

Thel turned his head and his eyes darted back and forth, searching for some kind of control panel. A golden armored Sangheili charged at him at full speed in front of him. Thel spun around to attack, but another figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

Kalika stepped forward and punched the Sangheili's throat as her blade elongated from her fist. She yanked her sword out of his neck as her other weapon stuck him in the gut. "Either side of the door!" She yelled as she kicked the heretic down on to the ground.

"...What?"

"The panel!" She disappeared again.

"Oh."

Thel turned and faced the large hangar doors at the back of the room. The bay was divided into three floors with ramps leading down to the ground floor and others going to the top.

Thel ran down a slope from the middle floor and proceeded along the outer edge of the bottom floor. The hijacked Covenant ship behind him began to hum with life. Up ahead, sure enough, two panels blinked bright blue and purple colors. Sentinels swerved around in the air above him, their lasers humming with power as they trained their weapons on him.

Kalika ducked under a long stroke of a plasma sword above her head. The gold armored Sangheili desperately swung his sword at the darting enemy. His other comrades were hesitant to draw their blades against a female, and so now they lay in their own blood around his feet. He had never fought against an opponent like this. No matter how fast he swung his weapon at her, she some how dodged out of the way or parried with her own unique blades. She was fast. He would give her that. That meant he only had to hit her once hard and she would crumple like a leaf.

Those eyes were distracting. There was no possible way that those were her natural eyes. Even her skin coloration was a bit hard to believe. Put simply, everything about her was hard to believe. Her very existence at war was the most confusing to him.

But she was just as the real as the blood of his friends staining his boots.

He stopped swinging and stood there, panting. His chest heaved with harsh breaths. She was gone. His armor was heavy on his body. The spines on his back rattled as he slowly stood up. His nostrils flared as his mandibles twitched. His eyes searched for the female.

All he could see were storage containers. Shadows lingered on the walls...

Two icy blue eyes opened and stared directly at him from the wall. They aggrandized suddenly and floated before him. He allowed instinct to take over.

He grabbed her muzzle in his fist and threw her to the ground with a twist of his arm. Her form came together in what was thought to be empty space. Her sword flung upwards toward his throat in his peripheral vision. He barely turned his head in time. The plasma seared his suit and sent shivers into his skin as the armor clacked to the floor, steaming beside him.

He tore her helmet away after he pinned her down to the ground, kicking away her swords. She was on her belly and he dug his elbow into her mid-back. He grabbed the nape of her neck where her skin was purple and red with bruises. She cried out more in aggravation than pain.

Cuts and slashes purpled her blueish skin. Bright, sky blue freckles were speckled around her enraged eyes. His hand was under one of the neck-armor shafts and had a fist full of her nape. When she struggled, he gripped harder and pulled up. She didn't like that very much.

He lowered his muzzle and hovered barely inches from her face. She curled her lip and snarled at him as he inhaled her scent noisily. "Do you know..." he whispered softly as his fist tightened again and she winced, "...how long it has been since I have enjoyed the pleasures of a female?"

The hangar doors began to pop and clank loudly. The heretic looked up suddenly as the metal plates peeled vertically away from each other and sheathed themselves within the wall.

When he was distracted, Kalika twisted her shoulders and shoved herself up from the ground with her palms. He blinked in surprise at her sudden movement as she flipped herself over. He slammed his elbow into her belly before she could sit up. Her eyes widened in pain as the air in her body left her lungs. Before he could pull his head away, she inhaled forcibly, hissed, parted her mandibles, and bit down hard on his exposed throat. Her teeth sank into his flesh and purple blood erupted from the wound. He gaped and choked from her unexpected attack. She released only to bite down hard again and twisted her head. He rolled over onto the ground, gasping and gurgling. She rolled with him and clenched her jaws again around his esophagus. His neck made a funny cracking sound. Kalika pulled back and tore a chunk of meat from his throat. Dark, thick, warm blood soaked his suit and stained the floor. She spat the flesh onto the ground. She sat up in a crouch a whirled around.

Her eyes were wild and her teeth were slick, dripping with blood. A feral growl rippled through her throat and across her curled lips. She drew her sword from the ground and roared at the Sangheili standing before her, splattering blood on his face.

Arsen yelled in alarm and stumble backwards. "By the Rings, woman, it's me!" he growled as he wiped his face with both hands. Kalika blinked and lowered her sword. She stood up and walked around him as he continued to mumble in disgust.

Thel nodded his head several times as Kalika passed him and spit blood on the ground. "Yeah... she's pretty nice."

The younger Stealth Sangheili beside Thel stepped out of her way and stared after her.

Thel turned and followed her. Kalika stopped and turned her head. Thel wrinkled his nose and his mandibles tugged upward nervously at the blood smeared on her face. "You've got a bit of something in your teeth, there."

She licked her teeth with the tip of her tongue. "Want a taste?" She asked teasingly.

Thel smirked, "I am afraid I will have to pass." He stopped beside her. "You are slower than usual." His eyes wandered to the bruises and cuts at the top of her neck and frowned. "What is this?" He pulled on her suit with his forefinger and his thumb, revealing deeper wounds along her throat. Kalika pulled away to reach down for her helmet.

"Convincing the Prophets and the High Council to allow me to accompany you came with a price." She said as she pulled her helmet over her head.

"You didn't have to come." The Arbiter said as she picked up her swords and clipped them to her thighs.

"Yes, I did." She kept her eyes lowered as she re-tightened the armor around her neck.

It suddenly came to Thel. "Did they mark you?" he asked in horror.

Kalika met his wide eyes with an agitated glare. "We will discuss this later."

She started to walk away, but Thel grabbed her forearm. She cringed as Thel growled, "No, we will discuss this-"

She stopped him with a look, daring him to keep talking. He grit his mandibles and exhaled heavily as he released her.

He hadn't noticed the large Covenant ship hovering in the room. Reinforcements were deposited from the drop ship and made their way up to the Stealth group on the third level.

Rtas tilted his head at Kalika, "Aren't you going to wipe that off?"

Kalika shook her head, "I'm saving it."

Rtas blinked in confusion and looked over at Thel as if he was supposed to know. The Arbiter turned his head away and instead observed the team approaching them. But his mind was else where.

He knew his wife was crazy, but she never lied. At least not in public or she would end up embarrassing herself. Her body... reacted when she wasn't telling the truth. Her dodging of his questions was the only answer he needed. He exhaled heavily.

Rtas made his way for the drop ship as the reinforcements arrived. Kalika walked to the edge of the platform and looked down upon the battle below. Her pupils narrowed as she observed the troops fanning in the opposite sides of the room. A low whirring sound grew louder and louder beneath her feet.

She frowned and looked down. A large flying machine was rising fast and shot upwards in front of her. Her eyes widened and she moved for her swords as she started to step backward.

Thel suddenly grabbed the top plate on the back of her armor and yanked her back behind him as his other arm swung his sword through the Sentinel. The machine whirred and sputtered in a series of sparks as its body was slashed in half.

"Twenty-two." He said as he watched it fall to the bottom below.

"I had it." She said acidly.

"You're welcome."

Down below, the Sentinel fell on top of an Unggoy in gold armor. Thel cringed and looked away.

"Cover the ship!" Arsen commanded. Heretics aimed their fuel rod guns up at the Covenant drop ship. The team dispatched and ran down the ramps while others aimed their Type-51 Carbines and sniped the enemy's heads.

The heretic's ship rattled and swayed as it hovered above the explosions of grenades and the impacts of fuel rod ammunition.

Thel followed Kalika, running along behind her. "You know, you're not too appreciative of me." He said as they joined the battle field below.

"I married you, did I not?" She retorted as more heretics poured into the room from a newly opened door on the very bottom floor.

Instead of reaching for her swords, she leaned down and picked up an unused Type 33-Guided Munitions Launcher (**16**). Thel sheathed his sword and attached it to the clasp on the outer side of his thigh. He wielded his secondary weapon, a Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle (**17**) as he spoke, "And that's supposed to mean something?"

Kalika was leaning down again to dual-wield a Type 25-Directed Energy Pistol (**18**) and she sat up fast to arch both of her eye-ridges at him with a knowing look. Thel put both of his hands up, "That didn't come out like I thought it would."

"I hope so!" Kalika yelled as the heretics charged at them. She aimed both of the guns at the heretics and squeezed her fingers around the triggers. She yelled over the gun fire, "It's not like we've been married for more than thirty years or something!" When the heretic got too close, she crouched down, leaned forward, and then stood up suddenly. She jabbed the energy pistol up the heretic's mandibles and held the trigger, "It's not like I mothered your children or put up with annoying relatives, alone at home for twenty-seven years and waited for the end of a stupid war!" She finally stopped firing the gun and kicked the heretic to the ground. She motioned her hands outwards, "Where's my appreciation?!"

Thel was in the middle of firing his rifle at the heretic charging toward him with an energy sword. "We had visits in between those twenty-seven years! Don't try to exaggerate the situation!" He replied as the heretic fell at his feet.

Kalika turned to face him, "Right! And I was the one who came and the only thing you were interested in was bending me over your desk!" She started to run toward the open door where the enemy was coming through.

It was Thel's turn to spread his arms. "Was it really necessary to say that in front of everybody?" he yelled after her and put away his gun. Kalika didn't wait for him and walked forward as he fired the needler and the plasma pistol at the same time at the door. Unggoy and Sangheili backed away against the wall behind the door as their comrades fell to the ground next to their feet.

"Aw, I'm sorry, love." She said with a mocking tone of pity. "Did I embarrass you in front of your friends?" She walked through the doorway after cloaking.

She spun around and elbowed a heretic in the side of his face. He cried out as Kalika revealed herself again and kicked an Unggoy hard in his head. She fired the needler at the first heretic with her head turned the other way. Her eyes narrowed on the larger Sangheili in the corner who stared at her with wide eyes.

The small hallway was silent for a moment. Kalika slowly stepped over bodies and held her intimidating gaze with the larger heretic. She curled her lips, revealing the stained blood on her teeth. The heretic's gun shook and his eyes were wide with fear.

"Stay back! Please! I don't want to shoot you!" He yelled. Kalika tilted her head inquisitively.

"You won't have to." She said softly.

Thel appeared next to the heretic, activated his sword, and rammed it through his gold chest plate and his hearts. The heretic gasped and dropped his gun, gasping for air as his body loosened. Thel twisted the blade and tore it away. The heretic gave him a haunted look of horror and confusion as his body fell to the ground limply.

"Thank you." Kalika bowed her head and held her guns back up as she neared the next left corner of the hall.

Thel ducked behind a storage container laying on its side as more troops came around the corner and fired their carbines and rifles at him.

"And it was not over my desk!" He yelled, standing to fire back at the heretics.

"I am so sorry, Lord Details!" She said sarcastically and also turned the corner to fire at the Unggoy and Sangheili down the hall. "I don't have your talented memory!"

Thel ducked again as the heretics returned fire. "Well, if you're going to talk about our sex life in front of the others, get it right!"

"I really should not be hearing this." Rtas groaned over Thel's communications.

"I'll say." Arsen said as he followed behind Kalika, who also took cover behind the wall. Thel armed a grenade after the heretics were done firing at him. The blue ball fizzed bright clouds of radiated plasma as he threw it with his left arm. It stuck to a heretic's arm down the sloped hallway and exploded in a show of bright blue light. The Stealth troops ran around them and camouflaged themselves as they ran down a hall that twisted downwards and opened into a larger room.

Kalika started to smile as she followed the team down the corridor. "I did not realize that you were so concerned with your social standing." She said sarcastically.

They both camouflaged as they trotted into the large room. Great pillars held up the ceiling and a second floor acted as a platform on their half of the room. Several other plasma belts carried battery charges on the taller side of the room. Their goal was a door on the other side of the room where the heretic's leader was already running from them.

Thel lead the way and the Stealth team fell behind them. Several heretics looked up the door and armed their weapons. Thel hid behind a column holding up the second floor. He made the first strike by arming another grenade and turning around the column. He tossed it at the cluster of Unggoy by the exit door and his camouflage automatically fell away. "I am very concerned!" He yelled at Kalika, who made her way toward the ramp up to the second floor.

"Since when?!" She called back. She charged at a Sangheili heretic and aimed her guns at his head. A flurry of green plasma flew from her pistol and hissed against the enemy's flaring purple energy shields. Her needler clicked and kicked back with each crystallized plasma bolt that exploded from its sockets. Her arm jerked as she held down the trigger to the needler, and multi-tasked, squeezing the pistol's trigger repeatedly.

She aimed the needler at an Unggoy running toward Arsen with a grenade as the pistol remained trained on the Sangheili in front of her. The heretic looked around in confusion and started to back up on the ramp.

Kalika's cloaking device deactivated with a hum as she advanced on him with her guns. The Unggoy heretic fell to the ground and his grenade went off. Kalika walked up the ramp and aimed both of her weapons at the heretic, who ducked behind a storage containers.

Kalika squeezed the trigger on the pistol and held it. She ran at full speed as the pistol began to hum and glow brighter. She leaped up on the container, stomped twice, stopped before she got to the edge, and then crouched. The heretic stood up at the sounds of the enemy approached and pointed his weapon forward, expecting her to come over the edge.

She threw down the needler and reached around the grab his muzzle. She twisted his head and reached around with the her other arm to shove the glowing pistols tip against the roof of his mouth. He cried out before Kalika released the trigger, silencing him.

She dropped him and hopped down. She pressed her body as far as she possibly could in the corner against the wall and the storage container. She turned the inside of her wrist upward and pulled on one of the armor shafts. The small black stripe on the back of her forearm clicked and a very thin rectangular prism stuck up. She pulled it out and pinched its side. She pulled and opened it like a fan. It began to create a circle and closed itself. A dim blue light flickered on at the center.

"Code name, X-5." Kalika spoke softly. She focused her gaze on Thel and Arsen who fought the battle below. "Find the coordinates to the map. Only you." She blinked several times and the silvery metal disk in her hand blinked its light back at her. "I have my reasons." She slid the disk under the storage container and pressed the button in the middle. Numbers represented in the Sangheili characters began to count down on one side of the holographic screen.

Thel made his way toward the door on the other side of the room as the last heretic fell to his knees. The door parted as he approached it. He ducked his head and camouflaged.

"Camouflage engaged." Arsen confirmed quietly behind the Arbiter. The hallway sloped downward and split into a "T" at the edge, each with a door on the ends. Two Sangheili opponents paced the hall.

Thel approached one and flipped his gun over. He hit the heretic hard on his head with the butt of the carbine, twisted the gun again, deactivated his camouflage, and fired the weapon at the enemy. His shields were turning red and Thel's gun suddenly clicked and sputtered.

Thel frowned and stared at the empty meter on the gun. It was out of ammunition. The heretic and the Arbiter stared at each other for a while.

A blade shot out of the heretic's throat, startling both the heretic and Thel. Kalika yanked the sword away and kicked the back of his knees. The locked door behind her flickered into a blue color to signify that it was open. As the heretic fell to the ground, Kalika grabbed the Arbiter's arm. She pulled him forward with a commanding, "MOVE!" Thel stumbled forward as a grenade exploded behind him and launched him forward. The air in Kalika's lungs exploded from her body as almost 700 lb. of heavily armored Arbiter slammed her into the column behind her.

Thel's shields barely activated in time. His head began to throb painfully. He groaned and slowly pushed himself off of the wall with one arm as his radars flashed red, indicating that he needed to recharge before he took damage again. Kalika gasped for breath and began to slide her back down the wall. Thel blinked in shock and caught her before she fell.

"Oh gods, did I-?"

"Yes." Kalika choked and wrapped her forearm around his to hold herself up. Both of their shields began to regenerate as Kalika panted desperately for oxygen. Thel's beeped to indicate that they had fulled recharged, and then Kalika's. She finally found the ability to breathe again and slowly stood up. She still held onto his arm.

"Do you need to sit-" Thel began.

"No." Kalika interrupted coldly.

Thel lifted his head, "I am just trying to-"

"Well, don't." She let go of his arm and sat off of the wall to show that she didn't need his support anymore. He stared at her for a while, as if he was looking for something or searching for some kind of meaning behind her words. He exhaled heavily and released her.

They turned toward the newly opened door beside and Kalika took the lead. She picked up Skira and armed Anari in her other hand. She started to enter, looking side to side in the darkened room.

"The heretic's leader is this way." Arsen called after them. Thel turned his head to look at him.

"We're just searching the room. It shouldn't take long. Keep going." Thel reassured him. He followed Kalika inside and the doors closed behind him.

Arsen frowned. They were not supposed to do anything without the Arbiter. Those were Rtas' orders. One of the Stealth troops, the same one that had elbowed his friend on the elevator, walked alongside Arsen as he continued down the other side of the hall.

"This cannot turn out well for us." The soldier said in a low voice.

"What can't?" Arsen asked in the same tone.

The soldier looked at him directly, "I think that we can all agree that this... 'exception to the law' will cause severe consequences in the future, if not now, if not for us."

"And if not for us?" Arsen kept his reptilian red eyes narrowed ahead.

The soldier's mandibles drew in closer together, "For her."

"I didn't realize that you cared." Arsen said in amusement.

"We all do." The soldier replied quietly.

Arsen looked at him this time, "Why? She is only a female."

"Yes, we may look down on her for that, but you said it yourself. She is female, indeed, and for that..." The soldier paused for a moment. Arsen quirked an eye-ridge at him, silently asking him to finish. "...we will do what it takes to ensure that she gets home safely."

"...The others feel this way, as well?"

The soldier nodded, "It is cruel that she is here. She is a distraction to the men-"

"But she gives you a new motive to fight." Arsen finished, staring thoughtfully at the wall ahead of him.

The soldier exhaled heavily, "We just want her gone."

"You know that I have no control over that matter. It is the will of the Prophets. Their word is our bidding. Our law. It is not our right to question them, as these heretics do." Arsen said and stopped at the end of the hall.

"Yes sir." The soldier bowed his head.

Arsen looked up, "There you are, Arbiter."

Thel came around the corner behind them and nodded his head toward Arsen. "There were only Unggoy in the room." The Arbiter said and walked past him.

"Where is the female?" Arsen frowned.

"...She'll be along shortly." Thel confirmed and entered the next room.

This room was a tall hallway that curved to the right. Beams ran along the ceiling to support the heavy walls. Containers were lined up against the walls and enemy Unggoy were curled up on the floor, sleeping. The Sangheili were leaning against the walls or pacing restlessly down the main path.

Thel came through the door. The Stealth team was camouflaged behind him, according to the yellow dots on his radar. They were not seen yet by the heretics because of the wall that surrounded them before opening into the room. Thel inhaled shakily and nodded his head toward the two sleeping Grunts on the others side of the room.

Kalika wielded Skira and Anari as her camouflage shimmered and powered down. She flipped each sword and fell to the one knee in between the Unggoy and stabbed through their backs.

They flinched and warbled but eventually fell silent. Kalika stood and pressed herself up against the wall, hidden in the shadows as she waited for her camouflage to recharge.

Thel activated his own cloaking device and turned the corner. The Stealth team followed closely behind and began to disperse through out the room. The Unggoy took positions in the corners. The four Sangheili stalked behind an individual heretic, waiting for the Arbiter to make the first strike.

Thel was mid-way down the hall and took position behind a particularly taller Sangheili. He grabbed the top of the enemy's helmet and yanked his head back. The heretic began to cry out and tried to pull away, but Thel's blade was already slicing across his throat. The heretic collapsed to the ground and Thel stepped forward to take on the next opponent.

Two sentinels flew overhead and shot blazing orange lasers down at the men. Arsen spun around and fired his plasma rifle at one as Kalika leaped out of nowhere from one of the beams on the ceiling and tackled one of the flying machines from above. The Stealth team had already taken care of assassinating the heretics on the ground. As Kalika slashed apart one sentinel, the others fired their weapons at the other.

The Sentinel under Kalika's feet swayed and began to smoke. She angled herself forward and clipped her swords to her thighs as the Sentinel began to drop in elevation. She shoved off of the sentinel and flipped backwards just as the machine exploded in a cloud of smoke and clacked to the ground. She grabbed one of the ceiling beams and grit her mandibles in pain. The feathers along her elbows sparked a bright blue color as they absorbed the impact.

Kalika swung her legs upward and pulled her body up on top of the beam. She shook her wrists to rid of the annoying, tingling sensation. When she was ready, she looked down to observe her options. She placed the bottom of her foot on the slanted beam and slid down the long slide to the other side of the room. She pressed down hard with her feet at the edge of the beam and twisted her body in mid air. She kicked down from the opposite wall and landed on the bottom floor in a crouched position with her palms to the ground and her chest inches from making contact.

The taller soldier who had previously spoken with Arsen looked up in awe at the beams as she stood, "How did you get up there?"

Kalika patted his shoulder as she passed him, as if that was supposed to explain everything.

Thel inhaled and flared his small nostrils. "Their leader went this way."

He lead the way to another dark silver door with bright blue lights. Kalika kept to the back of the group, her eyes darting rapidly across the walls as if she were expecting something to reach out and grab her. They entered yet another hallway, but this one was shorter and wider. Two doors were on the opposite of theirs; one up ahead, the other to their left.

Two Sangheili heretics came from the door ahead, followed closely by four Grunts. They charged toward the Covenant Stealth team, firing needlers, rifles, pistols, and carbines. The Stealth troops camouflaged and surged to the outer edges of the walls, avoiding enemy fire.

Thel took on the first Sangheili and slammed his face with his fist. The heretic fell into the others, blinking in surprise and flailing his arms.

The Stealth team advanced inward and aimed their guns as their cloaking devices fell away. Plasma rained down on the pile of heretics. The Unggoy wailed and the Sangheili yelled as the plasma seared their bodies.

"That's enough." Thel said and stepped away from the group. The heretics were silent.

Kalika revealed herself and stood by the door on the left side of the hall. Thel armed her carbine and exhaled heavily as he walked toward her. She stepped out of the way, refusing to make eye contact with him.

The Arbiter quickened his pace and the door hissed at his presence. Behind its shafts, a large room exposed itself. Windows opened into the skies where the electric green and red storm howled and pounded its winds against the facility. Thel's golden eyes narrowed on a Banshee taking flight from the platform outside.

The heretic's leader was running away like a coward.

"Deal with them, my brothers! I will defend the Oracle!" He shouted as the golden armored Banshee flew away.

Thel began to run for the exit to the outside. The four Sangheili behind him scouted the room for any hidden enemies as the Arbiter ran across ramps and slopes to get to the doors on the left side of the room.

Thel stopped and pounded his fist on the red flashing door as the leader called from his Banshee, "It's truth must not be silenced!"

The door on the right side of the room turned blue and opened. Three Grunts in gold and blue armor charged into the room and aimed their needlers at the Stealth team. The taller Stealth soldier appeared by the door and fired his carbine at the Unggoy.

"Ral!" Arsen shouted as the Unggoy heretics fell around the soldier's feet. The soldier looked up in confusion, but turned his head too late.

A Sangheili heretic stood before him, glaring acidly at him. The Covenant soldier looked down at the heretic's arm where he held his energy sword deep within his belly. The heretic tore his sword out and kicked the Covenant warrior off of the platform to the lower level below.

Arsen roared with rage at the heretics and aimed his weapon at the heretic's head. Thel also hefted his carbine to his eye and aimed at the second Sangheili's head. Gun fire popped and fizzed across the room.

Eventually, the heretics' shields failed them. They both collapsed to the ground as their shields sputtered and crackled.

Thel ran again, toward Arsen. The enraged Sangheili gently lifted his friend from the ground as Thel came up behind him.

The soldier was still breathing, but blood trickled down his throat and around his abdomen. Arsen held pressure on the wound, but he shook his head.

"He's not going to make it." He said softly.

Thel looked down sadly at the dying soldier. The warrior bleeding on the ground wearily lifted his hand and Arsen grabbed it firmly in his fist.

The soldier pulled Arsen close and whispered something so that only he could hear. Arsen slowly pulled back and stared at the soldier as Kalika appeared beside Thel, standing silently. Arsen nodded and stood.

He walked over to Thel and Kalika. He stopped and looked Thel in the eyes, "He would like to ask a favor of you before he dies."

The Arbiter nodded. Arsen leaned forward toward them both and whispered softly.

Thel blinked and Kalika stared at Arsen, who pulled back and stared questionably at them both. Kalika and Thel looked at each other as the rest of the Stealth team approached their friend's side.

Thel nodded to Kalika and took a step back.

Kalika looked at Arsen and nodded.

He bowed his head and also took a step back.

Kalika slowly approached the dying warrior and knelt down by his side. Two Stealth Sangheili on either side also knelt down beside their friend and began to unclasp his helmet. He struggled for air even as they removed its weight from his head. The other soldiers helped him to sit up against the wall as Kalika also removed her helmet.

"What is your name, soldier?" She asked as she set the pale golden helmet at her side on the floor.

"... Ral." He managed and closed his eyes as the others stood and stepped away.

Kalika actually smiled, "My eldest son has the same name."

Ral looked up at her, "You … have children?"

Kalika nodded, "Many."

Ral smiled softly, "I will soon ... be with my own." They both paused for a while, listening to his rattling breaths. He leaned his head back slowly, "It has... been an honor... then, … Lady 'Vadam..."

Kalika said nothing, but she leaned forward and pressed her muzzle against his.

Ral's body began to relax and he gave one last, final breath before he died.

Kalika held his gaze with her bright blue eyes until his final moment came. She could tell that he had moved on by the distant look in his warm brown eyes.

She pulled away and sat up.

Thel watched beside Arsen. This was a side of Kalika that very few got to see. These soldiers were lucky. Kalika's other side was rarely displayed in front of others, despite for Thel. Sometimes, he wished that she would show it more than the other side that so many knew her by.

"We need to move. Their leader is getting farther away." She said. The warrior had returned.

"We can't just leave him here." One of the soldiers said.

"We must." She stood and grabbed her helmet. She walked swiftly up the ramp to the exit door as she pulled the feathered helmet over her head.

Arsen hated to admit it, but he nodded his head, "Let us go."

The Arbiter still stood and looked upon Ral's limped body. He willed himself to walk away. He caught up to Arsen and asked softly, "His offspring are dead?"

"His mate died giving birth. She and the babies." Arsen said softly as they exited the room into another hallway with a door to the outside. "He is at peace now. We should not mourn his death."

"And what of his kin?"

Arsen sighed as they approached the door. "Hurry, Arbiter." Kalika appeared beside Arsen as he spoke, "Both of you will follow the heretic. We will scout the opposite side of the facility. Go."

Thel nodded and made his way for the door. As soon as it opened, powerful winds howled and slammed against the walls of the facility. Thel bowed his head and ran toward one of the two Banshees on the platform. He stepped around the tail and slid his arms into the controls. The flying machine hummed to life at his touch and the screens flickered online.

Thel's Banshee lifted off from the ground, followed by Kalika's.

"Stay close to me." Thel said into the communications.

"I can't make any promises." Kalika slyly replied through the Banshee.

A different voice came onto their speakers, "Let's try to keep these conversations a bit more focused, please."

"It's nice to see you're still with us, Rtas." Kalika said.

'Vadum ignored her. "The heretics are mobilizing their air forces, Arbiter. Get after their leader, but watch your back. I'm sending one of our Phantoms to aid you."

Thel checked his screens, and sure enough, a large Covenant drop ship emerged from the thick clouds. Two Banshees in golden armor already flanked it, firing glowing bolts of blue plasma at the drop ship's hull. The cannons on the Covenant ship rotated and fired in return with red, hot, explosive energy bolts.

Kalika's Banshee suddenly swerved away behind him. Thel checked the rear view camera and noticed two other heretics behind them. The ships fired heat-seeking plasma bombs at Thel's Banshee. The green, hissing explosives streaked through the air and left faint trails of thick clouds behind them.

Thel yanked hard to the left, flipping his Banshee over. The ship's wings glowed bright blue and rolled through the air just as the bombs passed him -

- and trained instead on Kalika's Banshee. Thel's eyes widened as he realized his drastic mistake. Where had she come from?!

Kalika pounded hard on the boosters. Her ship lurched forward and sped in favor of the wind. The two green missiles curved to follow her around a column stretching toward the eye of the storm.

"Kalika!"

"I got it, I got it." She said dully, as if dodging bombs was a daily chore for her.

He thought that he could feel his hearts stop when the bombs were merely inches from making impact.

Kalika flipped her engines off in mid-air. The Banshee immediately began to drop and stopped glowing. Kalika released her grip on the levers and pulled her legs up. She twisted her body around so that her legs were inside of the Banshee and her torso hung out of the end. She counted silently to herself as the wind roared in her ears. She waited, calculating, waiting, counting...

The bombs fizzed out of energy and dissipated overhead. The wind had carried her all the way to the opposite side of the facility. She slammed her foot on the levers and the Banshee began to purr.

Then died again.

Kalika's eyes widened in shock. The wind was dropping her fast and her stomach felt like it was about to come out of her throat. Heretics flew overhead and circled their Banshees toward her. Green bolts of energy whirred and grew in the barrels of the enemy's launchers. The bombs fired and surged toward Kalika's falling ship.

Kalika did the only thing she could do. She pulled herself into the Banshee -

-and shoved herself out. She held her arms out as she fell through the air. She was at the wind's mercy.

Her Banshee exploded overhead in a flurry of green and blue cloud. That was all that Thel could see.

Kalika looked down. A lower ledge was outstretched beneath her and led to the middle of the lower structure of the facility. This was her only chance. She slowly angled herself head first, vertically. She tried to relax her body as much as possible as she reach out with her hand for the ledge.

She caught the ledge, alright. With a flare of her shields, her body swung around and slammed in to the wall with a "CLANG" of her armor as her wrist made a loud, "CRRK!" sound. She screamed and closed her eyes. She was lucky that her arm hadn't been torn off. She quieted herself, grunting and wincing as she clambered up onto the ledge.

She rolled onto her back and clenched her fist over her left forearm, choking down the need to cry. She instead blinked, choked, and whimpered loudly. Her wrist felt like it had been rammed into a plasma generator. The feathers on her elbows crackled with icy blue electricity. They had absorbed what damage they could. The entire left side of her body burned where she had slammed herself into the wall, and her spine stabbed her with pain when she tried to sit up.

She struggled to breathe. She managed to roll over again and rested on her forearms. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest as she willed herself to sit up. Pain suffocated her and she fell again and again. She didn't dare touch anything with her left hand. Her wrist was obviously dislocated. It would have to be set back into place, and she had no strength or leverage to do so.

She stretched her back by touching her pelvis to the ground and winced in pain again. Her spine popped, allowing air into her lungs. She rested fully on her forearms and inhaled with gaping mandibles.

"Oh gods..." She cursed as she exhaled. She rose to her knees slowly. Her shields began to regenerate around her in a shimmering wall of light blue energy and then faded away. She still clenched her forearm as she stood stiffly and walked across the ledge. On the wall that attached to the facility was a door.

Some Forerunner must be looking after her.

She tried to shake feeling back into her legs as she walked. She bowed her head against the wind, clenching her mandibles and grunting every now and then.

The door parted as she approached. Kalika stopped in the doorway and looked up. The battle between the heretics and the drop ship still continued up above. Plasma was fired at each other and Banshees darted around the Covenant ship. She would have to meet Thel else where.

She inhaled shakily and turned around, sucking up the pain. She let her left arm hang as she armed Anari in her other hand.

She entered a dark hallway. Lights flickered on and off inside. Kalika cautiously and slowly walked down the hall. The door closed behind her, leaving her in very dim light. This was of no matter to a Sangheili. They could see easily in darker environments.

The hall stretched downward and then took a subtle right turn where Kalika could not see. Anari cast a purple glow about the hallway. If anything was around the corner, it did not stir. Black wires spat silver sparks around her feet and hung from the ceiling. Kalika pressed her back against the wall and stopped at the edge. She exhaled and peeked her eye around the corner.

Nothing moved. She sniffed the thick air as she stepped around the safety of the corner. She walked down the corridor slowly, avoiding the wires spontaneously crackling with electricity.

The hall opened into a circular room. The ceiling was extremely tall and the floor sunk a few feet to match the circular ceiling. The walls along the sunken floor were filled with blinking holographic panels. Several of the screens showed cameras of the facility inside and the battle still continuing outside. The tall hollow column of the room stretched up to about 500 feet. Hundreds upon hundreds of heavily armored octagonal lids lined the walls entirely. A tall pole rose from the center of the room to the ceiling. Now that she looked up and observed the ceiling, it did not take up the entire floor as a ceiling should. There were empty spaces around the edges, revealing that the column was taller than it seemed. Four sections of the column's wall were missing, leading into unknown areas of the mining facility.

Kalika concluded that she was, in fact, standing at the bottom of a colossal elevator. The "lids" must be containers of some sort for something of interest of the Forerunners. Or the heretics. Whoever.

Some one's hand grabbed her around the throat and lifted her from the ground. Kalika gasped and automatically dropped Anari, reaching up with both hands to clasp onto the iron fingers around her neck. She grunted and dropped her left arm as pain bit down on her wrist.

"What are you doing here?!" A voice yelled at her. The Sangheili walked around the room, holding Kalika up as she thrashed for freedom. "Nobody is supposed to be down here!" His voice was surprisingly high for a Sangheili. "Who are you?!"

When she didn't answer, he slammed her down on her back onto one of the control panels.

"Opening all hatches." A woman AI's voice echoed over the speakers. The Sangheili dressed in golden heretic armor looked up in shock as the lids began to hiss.

"No!" He shouted. "We are not finished! Cancel that!"

Well, that was stupid. Kalika reached for Skira as he distracted himself. She flipped the rectangular prism, activated it, and shoved its bright blue blade through his chest. The heretic cried out and released Kalika, stumbling off of the sword and falling to his knees on the concrete floor. Kalika slid off of the control panels and walked up to the heretic. She panted heavily and snarled viciously at him. She swung Skira across his throat, beheading him and splattering purple puddles of blood on the floor. Kalika looked up as his head rolled to the floor with a "Thud!" and his armored body crumpled with a clang.

Not all of the hatches were open, but most, on all sides of the column, began to creak. There was a long moment as silence after the lids banged upward on their hinges. A familiar stench reeked from each of the empty cells within.

All at once, Flood overwhelmed the exits of the hatches. Hundreds upon hundreds shrieked and screamed as they crawled on top of each other and along the walls. Disformed creatures spat green slime as they twisted their heads around and already swarmed the facility. Kalika's eyes widened.

"...Oh shit."

**Author's Notes  
**

16) The Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher is more commonly known as a needler. "The Needler is a Covenant projectile weapon that fires long, sharp crystalline shards that are guided until they impale a target — hence the "Needler" moniker. Several seconds after coming to rest in their target, the needles detonate, creating severe and in most cases fatal wounds." -HaloWiki

17) The Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle is more commonly known as a plasma rifle. "The weapon has a power output of 100-150 KV 2~3 dA, and can fire 360 to 540 rounds per minute. Unlike the Plasma Pistol, the plasma rifle is capable of semi-automatic and full automatic fire; this is thanks in part to its dual plasma collimator design." -HaloWiki

18) The Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol is more commonly known as a plasma pistol. ""The weapon is powered by a battery cell and uses a superheated form of Hydrogen Fluoride gas as a source of fuel. The weapon has a power output of 100-150 KV (kilovolts) 2~3 dA, but when overcharged, the power output is 1.5 MV 2~3 dA. The Type-25 DEP is a semi-automatic weapon using a single collimator design that gives the weapon its smooth and aerodynamic, claw-like appearance." -HaloWiki


	6. Log 05

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

Edited by ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Forerunner Gas Mine, Planet Threshold

18:29 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 05

The Flood were coming fast both down and up the walls. Some even went through the metal and concrete.

Kalika ran to one side of the room and ducked under the control panels. She pressed her back all the way up against the wall and stayed there. She quieted her breathing as Flood touched down on the ground next to her. They sniffed the air. She could hear their guttural breathing. Their feet sloshed across the ground, and infectious pale green slime splattered on the control panels. They could smell her.

Adrenaline surged through her veins. Her breathing came rapidly as she tightened her grip on her sword. It wouldn't be long before they found her.

And then what?

She recognized the disfigured face of a Sangheili that was frozen in mid-cry on the other side of the room. Sacs built from his throat and hung off of his body. His arms were swollen into disfigured claws and his legs oozed with yellow-brown pus. The smell made Kalika want to retch.

The control panel in front of her exploded in a show of blue and red sparks. Kalika covered her head with one arm and curled her body up into a ball. When she looked up, she stared into the eyes of the contaminated Sangheili's head. Kalika immediately swung her sword downward across his face and roared angrily at the parasite. His head twisted at a strange angle with a sickening crackling sound. The parasite rotated its head all the way around behind itself, over its shoulder, and shrieked at her after a long series of cracking and popping noises. Kalika wrinkled her muzzle in disgust and swung her sword again to dismember his head.

She pulled her foot away from the jaws of a similar parasite. A smaller Flood crawled along the ground and wobbled on its tentacle legs toward her head.

She needed to move or she would be pinned down against the wall. She smashed the smaller Flood with the flat of her sword against the floor and kicked the parasite trying to grab her leg, all the while yelling, "I will NOT die down here!"

She used the kick to help her shove herself up. She shifted Skira to one thumb and index finger, and then grabbed the edge of the dismantled control panel above her to pull herself up. She sat up, turning her head to watch for her next opponent. The crawling parasites hissed at her and began to wobble rapidly toward her position.

She began to stand when, suddenly, a wave of three Flood spores leaped up from the ground toward her face. She bent her body back over the panels as she swung her blue blade through the air. All three of the parasites collapsed on the panels above her head. Kalika looked up.

And just in time, too. A large, ugly, three-fingered fist came surging toward her head. She rolled over just as a massive parasite swung his fist through the control panels in a flurry of sparks, leaving a dent in the concrete floor. She stood up off of her belly, checking her back before confronting this new enemy. The little parasites were...

...running away? Kalika blinked in confusion and turned around. The Flood before her had a humongous sac expanding rapidly above its head. Kalika ducked underneath what remained of the panels just as it exploded. Green remains splattered on the walls above her and stained her armor on the ride side of her arm and helmet. She turned on her heels and made a wide defensive stroke of her sword before her, a growl rippling through her throat as her lips curled to bare her teeth ferally.

But there was no enemy to taste her blade. The parasites were crawling back up the walls and hissing. Kalika looked around herself and frowned in confusion. There was nothing behind her. She checked the ground twice. She cautiously made her way back from where she had come from.

Tap... tap... tap...

Her boots clicked on the ground softly and echoed eerily in the silence. There were no more creatures crawling along the walls... in fact, there was no one. A moan croaked from the elevator above her, causing her to look up in alarm as a light green mist frothed forth from vents.

A parasite screamed far off in the distance, followed by a recognizable Sangheili's cry. Kalika clipped Skira quickly to her left thigh and reached for her second sword that was still fizzling on the ground. She breathed rapidly, but quietly so that she could hear the Flood banging against the walls and tearing through the wiring systems in their desperation to find living hosts.

Kalika's mandibles tightened. Her wrist fell like it was on fire. She pressed her back up against the wall beside the dark entrance. She looked to her left where more screaming echoed down the tall shaft, and then to her right where a pair of foaming jaws parted before her face.

She cried out in alarm and stumbled backward, swinging her sword at the parasite grabbing for her with dark claws. The Flood roared and pounced, slamming her to the ground in its massive hand. Kalika held her sword up as the infected Sangheili fell down on top of her. The blade bit through its neck and its body sagged on her sword. Kalika turned her head away as green fluids burst from its pores along its severed neck. She kicked into its gut to get it off of her, but the massive thing refused to budge.

Kalika's outcry finished reverberating about the hall.

"...Kalika?!" A voice of desperation called from above, followed by a variation of plasma pistols being fired and a scream from a parasite.

Kalika looked up at the floor of the elevator above her. Her hearts nearly sagged with relief at the sound of Thel's voice. She grunted and wrestled with the parasite's corpse. She rolled and threw it off of herself. She sat up and called back, hiding her emotion with a heavy tone, "I'm here!"

Flood began to come around the walls again, clawing at the metal and climbing upward. Kalika stood as the new enemy advanced toward her.

"Can you descend the elevator?" The Arbiter yelled over the edge.

Kalika hissed at the large parasite lumbering toward her, crouching down and tilting her sword outward. "I'm a little-" The Flood charged and swiped at her with a writhing tentacle. Kalika ducked, stepped behind her right foot, and swung her sword toward its shoulder. "-BUSY!"

The Flood's arm fell to the ground in a puddle of fluid. Kalika swung again across its chest, forcing the parasite to scream and collapse to the floor. Kalika stepped down hard on its back, much to her disgust as contaminated fluids seeped from flaps on its translucent green skin. She thrust her plasma blade into its lower back, forcing the last cry of the Flood out in a series of guttural sputters.

Arsen fought by the Arbiter's side, firing his plasma rifle at the parasites crawling around on the floor. "How is she alive?! Her Banshee exploded!" He yelled, dodging to the side as a heretic infested lunged for him.

Thel didn't seem to hear him. The only part that he seemed to recognize was that his wife was still alive. He fired his carbine at the parasites leaping from the tiers of the walls of the column the elevator resided in. They landed before him, glaring and bellowing. Thel moved in, throwing his empty weapon to the ground and wielding his energy sword. A Flood leaped up into the air as Thel charged. The Arbiter kicked off of the ground, twisting his waist and pulling his sword back. The parasite extended its claw, but its face was suddenly impaled by the Arbiter's sword. Thel landed and fell to one knee, slamming the Flood's limp body onto the ground. He looked up and stared at the numerous Flood lining up on the beams.

"Kalika!" He yelled.

"I am working on it!" She called back irritably as she shoved her foot into a parasite's face. Kalika turned toward what looked like the motor control panels. Multiple buttons flashed red, while others blinked blue. The many different colors were distracting.

"Eject... gas control... cameras..." Kalika mumbled as she searched for some kind of elevation control. She frowned at the next button.

"What in the name of the gods is 'disco mode'?"

"Now would be most favorable!" Thel called. His back was bent over the edge and his elbow was up to push away a growling parasite with his forearm. The Flood screamed and snapped at his face as Arsen struggled with multiple small parasites trying to pin him to the ground.

"Here!" Kalika slammed down hard on a purple button.

"Identification required." A woman's voice said. Kalika's jaws spread in disbelief as a panel blocked the screen with the same message and a scanner clicked below the panel.

She groaned and looked around the room. The stupid heretic that had slammed her on the control panels had been infested with the Flood. He was long gone. Small spores started to gather around the entrance.

"KALIKA!"

"ALRIGHT!" Kalika shouted and spun around. She rubbed the back of her glove across her bloodied teeth. Most of the blood was already dry, but the upper layer was still moist and collected on her suit. She smeared the blood on the scanner at the bottom of the panel. The tray clicked and folded underneath the screen.

"Welcome, Lieutenant Thos 'Toronee." The computer spoke monotonously. Kalika tilted her head at the familiar name. Wasn't that a councilor's state name?

She pressed the button again.

The elevator began to whir and shudder as the central column began to twist. Kalika spun around and wielded her sword to take on the infectious Flood.

Anari sputtered and flickered off. Kalika stared at the dribbling plasma hilt. She looked up and swatted away a small Flood spore. Four others leaped up to replace the one, gurgling and grabbing for her with their tentacles.

Thel wavered in his stance as the elevator began to descend. He and Arsen panted heavily, looking at each other to make sure they had not been infected. The one Unggoy with them fought admirably. He, too, wobbled as the elevator carried them down further into the dark shaft.

Thel had to grab onto a pillar when the elevator suddenly stopped. His cheeks tugged down in the equivalent of a Sangheili frown, "What is going on?" He called over the edge.

Kalika threw down the last parasite with a satisfying "pop" and hurried back over to the red flashing screen. Her pupils narrowed and her lip curled in irritation, "Today is not my day."

The blaring screen read, "Malfunction" in circular Forerunner characteristics. Kalika couldn't translate as well as Arsen could, but she had a pretty good idea of what it meant. She sighed as she studied the diagram of the elevator that the screens provided, "The elevator is jammed!" She yelled. The shafts of the central column were flashing red and live camera feed was provided in the bottom corner.

"Initiating automatic repairs." The computer purred. Kalika looked down at the progress bar at the bottom that read, "Estimated Time: 2 days, 5 hours, 38 minutes, 6 seconds."

"We don't have two days." Kalika growled. Suddenly, the time changed again, "5 minutes, 7 seconds." She tilted her head in confusion. It jumped again, "1 week, 6 days, 3 hours, 7 minutes, 5 seconds."

Kalika groaned at the screen, "You are completely unreliable." She looked up at the central column where the Flood was starting to collect. Strange pore-like infectious Flood started to grow across the pillar, digging its tentacles into the shafts and disabling it from moving. That would cause a problem.

She would use her ranged weapon, but Anari had just run out of plasma. She clipped the hilt to her thigh and reached for Skira instead. She looked up again. She could throw a grenade, but if the Flood had gotten past the shafts, the inner structure would be damaged, taking the entire elevator down with the others on it.

It was a quick way of getting them down, but she preferred them all alive. She would have to remove the Flood herself. The question was how was she going to get up there? She considered climbing the ledges, but then she remembered that her dislocated wrist would give her trouble. She could make the climb with one arm, but how would she protect herself from the parasites? The situation was really quite hopeless.

Kalika growled in aggravation and shoved the bottom of her boot against the base of the central column. The metal shook and vibrated as the shafts creaked under the weight. Kalika was just about to turn away, but she stopped and looked back at the bottom of the column. She paused for a moment as her mind began to calculate her chances of surviving something absolutely crazy.

"Thel!" She called. The Flood began to come around the corners again. Three large parasites with swollen sacs rising from their backs flickered multiple tentacles at her as they waddled across the concrete. There could have been more than twenty smaller infectious parasites wobbling on their tentacles for legs.

Thel tore his sword out of a Flood's forehead and kicked it hard onto the ground. "What?!" He shouted as he swerved around to swing his sword at a larger parasite.

"Kick the central pillar!" He heard her say. Her voice echoed to ensure that he had heard her correctly. The head of the parasite before him fell to the ground, followed shortly by the rest of its body. Arsen spun around and aimed both of his rifles at the Flood trying to board the elevator.

"Did she just say to kick the pillar?" He inquired with a furrow of his eye-ridges.

Thel turned around and observed the thick octagonal pillar rising from the center of the elevator, and supporting a second platform.

"Arsen!" Kalika grabbed a plasma grenade from her belt and threw it at the mass of parasites crawling toward her.

"What is it, female?" Arsen took a couple of steps back as a large Flood-Sangheili landed in front of him, surprised that she remembered his name.

"This 'female' has a name." Kalika rose her blue blade up to swat away the leaping parasites.

"Not yet, she doesn't." Arsen growled. He ducked under a Flood's arm and fell to one knee. He aimed his gun as the parasite whirled around to swing its large claws at him, but Arsen's rifle sparked first and fired blazing bolts of blue plasma into its face. The parasite shrieked and twisted its head away, but it, too, crumpled to the ground.

Arsen looked up at the Arbiter, who was giving him of a look of disapproval. Arsen tilted his head in confusion, but Thel looked away and started to lift his left leg up. The Arbiter pounded his heavy boot against the pillar, rattling the metal and sending vibrations throughout the central column. He continued to slam the bottom of his foot against the base of the pillar as Kalika whirled around, ignoring the parasites closing in on her. She also leaned back, shoving her armored boot against the bottom of the pillar.

"Throw down a gun to me!" She yelled as the Flood hugging the mid-pillar hissed in agitation. It was trying to grow, feeding on the smaller parasites crawling along the beams of the walls. The vibrations caused disturbance on its grasping tentacles and it started to slide ever to slowly down the pillar. The elevator began to whir as its shafts began to clack.

Kalika looked up as a plasma pistol slid off of the edge of the elevator. She ducked out of the way of the three explosive parasites behind her and dove toward the pistol. She clipped her sword, rolled over her shoulder, rose up onto one knee, and grabbed the pistol from the air by its muzzle. She tossed it up to flip it over, pulling her injured wrist behind her back. She squeezed the trigger and spun on her knee. The gun hummed and a green glow grew brighter at its barrel, reflecting off of her fallow gold armor. She fired her weapon at the parasites waddling toward her, her arms jerking with each rapid shot. The Flood continued to advance on her even as the plasma jolted their bodies.

Arsen had to cover the Arbiter as he continued to kick the pillar. He stood with his back against Thel's with both of his rifles pointing at either side of him.

"Forty years of service, and never have I endured a mission as ridiculous as this!" Arsen shouted as he spun around to join Thel in kicking the pillar. He had no idea why they were doing it, or any clue why he was trusting the female, but he obeyed nonetheless.

"This is only the beginning." Thel panted as he paused for a moment. They both pounded their boots at the same time on the pillar while, down below, Kalika backed away from the Flood advancing on her. None of them seemed affected by the plasma searing their slick flesh. They just kept coming.

Kalika decided to move on to a different method. She aimed her gun above her head toward the pale yellow parasite hugging the pillar. She squeezed the trigger and held it. The gun began to vibrate and buzz loudly as plasma collected at its tip. Heat built up in the handle and began to burn her hand even through the suit. She fired the powered shot up at the giant parasite with a large kick-back. As the neon green bolt streaked through the air in an electric cloud of plasma, Kalika changed her position to the opposite side of the pillar and began to kick the pillar again. She timed her kicks to meet Thel's and Arsen's.

The pale parasite hissed again as the vibrations loosened its sticky tentacles. When the plasma burned its sensitive wrinkly hide, the Flood jerked its tentacles away. Too late, the parasite tried to regain its grip. The pillar was wracked again and with a shudder, the large parasite began to fall. Kalika stopped kicking and immediately stumbled backward. The three explosive Flood almost had her. Their sacs were translucent and straining with pressure. They gurgled and continued to waddle toward her.

The Flood were intelligent. They learned rapidly through the mistakes of their hosts. The three parasites had her pinned to the wall. One advanced slowly in front of her as the other two blocked off her left and and right sides.

A giant shadow loomed above them for a split second. The next thing she knew, the giant Flood smashed the three smaller parasites under its massive frame. The elevator began to whir again and the shafts began to creak. Thel and Arsen stopped kicking and spun around, back to back again as the elevator began to descend.

"We have a problem." Kalika called up.

Arsen growled in irritation, "Because we did not have one before?!"

Kalika stared at the destroyed control panels underneath the large Flood's tentacles, "Not compared to this."

"Security alert. Activating defensive mechanisms." The distorted woman's voice said.

The elevator jerked to a stop again. Then it began to turn and twist.

"You are turning it in circles!" Arsen yelled.

"I am not turning anything!" Kalika roared back.

Arsen snorted and glared up at the parasites crawling and running across the beams to get to them. He looked around the elevator and walked up to the second level. "...Where is Yummee?"

The Arbiter assumed that he was referring to the Grunt that was with them previously. "...Yummee?" He called, also looking for the little Unggoy and fearing the worst.

Kalika looked up in confusion. "...Did you not eat before we came here?"

Thel exhaled heavily and rebalanced himself when the elevator thankfully stopped spinning. A parasite leaped at Arsen, shrieking and swinging its black tentacles at his face. Arsen stepped forward and shoved the bottom of his boot into the Flood's face. "Worthless CUR!" He spat as he watched the parasite fall to the ground below.

Kalika ducked out of the way as the body slammed into the panel beside her. She looked up at Arsen, "Please dispose of parasites responsibly."

"Ah! Responsibility! Has this word been newly introduced into your vocabulary?" Arsen said as he backed up to take on the next enemy.

"Come down here, and I will introduce you to my fist!" She growled as she stepped up on to the flatter, pale parasite.

"Both of you!" Thel snapped, "Focus!"

Bright orange beams of plasma crackled at Arsen's feet and seared the ground. Arsen ducked away and aimed both of his guns at the Sentinel barreling toward him. The sentinel's guns began to scream to life as its brethren flew downward.

"What is wrong with the system?" Arsen yelled as he fired his guns at the flying machines. "I've never seen a Forerunner technology so unpredictable before!"

"The heretics were tampering with the wires and the controls before I came here." Kalika replied as she aimed the pistol up into the air. Sentinels zoomed toward her and warmed up their weapons. Kalika began to back up, keeping her weapon trained on the flying Sentinels.

"...Thel?"

The Arbiter whirled around, swinging his sword through the middle of a parasite's waist completely. "Yes?" He inquired loudly while trying to not sound frustrated by his current situation. It was a difficult task that he had mastered over the years.

"Do you remember that old doarmir cloak you left behind?" She said as she dodged out of the way of lasers and fired her pistol.

Thel immediately stopped and turned his head. She was referring to the cloak that he had made when he was a much younger Sangheili. The cloak was made of doarmir fur and it served as a reminder to him to remain weary and cautious of his actions. After his incident and having to dishonorably and secretly visit a doctor, his cloak had become a symbol of recognition for his mistakes.

"I may have... temporarily misplaced it."

"You LOST it?!"

Kalika cringed her shoulders upward slightly and tilted her head, "I would not say 'lost', but-"

"Why are you bringing this up now?!" The Arbiter stormed forward and swung his sword across a parasite's torso.

"Because-" Kalika started, but she leaped out of the way of a crashing Sentinel, falling on to one hand on the dead Flood's corpse. She pulled her hand away from the pale parasite's rotting hide and wrinkled her nose slightly as foul-smelling slime stretched from her gloves. She stood up and shook her hand, a gun still clasped in her thumbs, "-I would rather have you take your anger out on the enemy than on me."

Thel whirled around and shoved the tips of his sword through a parasite's head. He shoved it away, thrusting its body against the pillar. "We are having a VERY long conversation when we return home!"

Kalika sighed tiredly.

The elevator jerked and whirred again, descending closer to Kalika. They didn't have to yell as loud to understand each other now. Thel sighed and placed his palm over his muzzle as the elevator clicked and continued downward.

He didn't feel like himself. Who was this angry and impatient person that had been brought out of him? He knew exactly what the answer was, but he didn't think that it would be this dramatic.

Twenty seven years of pent up anger and frustration was being unleashed onto each other. Twenty seven years of non-stop fighting, not knowing if he would ever see home again, constant concern for being what he was supposed to be, anger at the way things were with his keep and his being here, and most of all, anger at himself had been eating away at him from the inside. He had wondered why Kalika had been encouraging his irritable behavior ever since she came here.

He pulled his hand away from his snout. Kalika sometimes did things that not even he could explain. It would cause doubt in the Prophet's eyes if he could not contain and control himself. She was doing a dangerous thing.

Everything she was doing, and had done, now that he thought about it, was a dangerous thing. What was she thinking? He wasn't too concerned with the combat and the physical danger. She knew how to take care of herself.

Most of the time.

But that wasn't the point. There were rules and customs that even her rebellious self must submit to.

She could fight, he would not deny her that. But what power would she have when they returned to High Charity? The Prophets were merciful in keeping her presence a secret, though he would have preferred to have been notified ahead of time of her arrival. No one outside of Vadam was supposed to know that he even had a mate. He wanted to keep it that way, not only to keep her safe, but to avoid quarrels with the other males. Knowing Kalika, he doubted that she would stay cooped up in his chambers for their entire stay there.

He was glad to see her, but there was too much at stake. The only thing that was protecting her from execution was her title and the fact that she was his consort.

Kalika never did anything without having a good, solid reason. That he knew. There must be something more to her purpose here. He was determined to figure out what it was when they returned from this mission, if they did at all.

He was lurched back into the present moment when the elevator began to spin again. Arsen grabbed onto a crate to steady himself. "Stop turning the elevator, woman!"

"I have no control over the elevator!" She yelled scathingly.

Arsen stood up, "...Then who is controlling the elevator?"

Kalika turned her head and sniffed the air. A different scent lightly tinged the acrid smell of the room. She followed the intensity of the scent, stepping over bodies and debris. She ducked her head under one of the panels and pulled aside a destroyed screen. An Unggoy looked up at her with beady, black eyes and warbled. Kalika frowned and narrowed her pupils at the wires entangled in his large hands.

"...I think I found your Grunt." She called and stood up as more Flood rounded the corners of the open walls. Sentinels hovered in the air, training their weapons on her.

"Yummee?" Arsen called.

"Yummee is here, sir." The Unggoy called weakly.

Kalika turned around again.

"Damn it, Yummee! Why are you down there?!" Arsen roared.

Kalika's face darkened into a disconsolate expression, "His legs are missing."

Yummee warbled again up at her. Then he looked down at the wires in his hands and began to connect a few selected into the panels and ports. The elevator stopped spinning.

Kalika forced herself to look away and aimed her gun again. "He is working on getting you down. I will cover him for how ever long he needs."

Arsen was still staring in shock at whatever happened to be in front of him, in this case, the pillar. That little Grunt had been on his team for as long as he could remember. He was just a Grunt, but...

"Soldier!" Thel shouted.

Arsen spun around and shoved his rifle up into a parasite's mouth between its writhing tentacles. He roared indignantly, "YOUR DEATH IS AT HAND!" and filled its head full with blue plasma. He shoved the parasite off of the elevator, releasing an angry battle cry from his throat.

Kalika stood up on the pale parasite's body again, directing the attention away from Yummee and onto herself. She fired her pistol at the Sentinel directly above her head. Just as it exploded, she was tackled around the waist and slammed down hard into the ground. She cried out in pain when her dislocated wrist reacted and twisted to catch herself. She gasped for breath and jabbed the pistol into the infected Sangheili's head, falling onto her back and dropping her wrist beside her, squeezing the trigger repeatedly and pumping green plasma into its eye socket. She lay on her back with the dead parasite laying on top of her. Kalika winced and lifted her arm, firing at the Sentinels above her.

Thel looked up at the sound of Kalika's outcry. That wasn't the first time.

"What is wrong?" He called, stepping beside Arsen and swinging his sword upward to knock a Flood away from him.

Kalika grunted and wriggled out from underneath the parasite's body. "My wrist is dislocated."

She said it like dislocating joints was a regular thing for her. Thel exhaled sharply and looked over the edge of the elevator. A thick green fog hid the bottom floor, but he could see down far enough to notice a faint haze of blue light- a door several levels down.

He hated not being able to do anything when he was needed. "As soon as we get down, I will assist you."

Kalika's cheeks tugged upward in a Sangheili smile. Her husband was always trying to play the hero, even when he couldn't help himself. She looked up and her entire body immediately stiffened.

She was entirely surrounded by Flood, and they were closing in fast. She was still pinned underneath the parasite's body by the legs. She aimed her gun and bared her fangs, roaring in defiance as at least five tall parasites loomed over her.

A bright blue light streaked across the air and stuck one of the parasites in the head. Kalika curled up and closed her eyes, protecting her head with her healthy arm. The plasma grenade made a high pitched wail and exploded.

The Flood were thrown back and lay still on the floor. Kalika panted heavily and pulled her legs out from under the parasite's body. She bowed her head, "Thank you, Yummee."

The Unggoy warbled and went back to work on the wires. The Arbiter leaned over the wall and aimed down at the faint shadows of the Sentinels, firing his carbine each time with a kick back.

The elevator lurched and began to descend again. Yummee had finished his work. Kalika turned her head and looked over at the appalling sight of him. He was holding many wires together at the tips, and his arms were vibrating with the voltage. It was a terrible thing to watch. Bright blue blood pooled beneath his dismembered waist and speckled his arms.

Finally, his little body could take no more. The Unggoy dropped the wires and the elevator stopped moving. He was completely motionless and still. Kalika stared down at him for a while before looking up, "That is as far as he can take you."

Arsen understood and nodded his head toward the Arbiter. Thel examined Arsen's expression, but it was unreadable and downcast. The Arbiter turned away and looked around on the walls. Yummee had taken them down far enough to access the open door that he had seen. "Can you meet us?"

"I can try." Kalika looked around the walls where the rest of the Flood had gone. She gave one last look to Yummee. She wondered if he would ever be remembered by others, for she had never seen such honorable actions come from an Unggoy before. Or would he be forever erased from all memory like she?

Kalika looked away and walked up to one of the panels that had not yet been demolished. She climbed on top of it and grabbed the edge of the wall with the purple gun still in hand. She stared into the darkness and the gray fog unfurling along the silver floor.

Thel and Arsen ran down a long hallway. Green slime and bodies littered the metal floor. The air was warm and rank with the smell of blood mixed with the horrible stench of the parasite. Their foot falls echoed down the corridor that led to a dead end. A single door parted for them on the left with a hiss.

Another long hallway opened up, but this one had a glass wall around the inside of it. The hall circled around and connected at the ends. The Arbiter cautiously entered, sniffing the air and stepping toward the glass. Arsen was constantly looking behind him or above him, keeping both of his rifles aimed wherever his eyes looked.

Through the glass, a large room opened up. It was tall and sunk beneath their floor. Down below, three platforms were spread equally across the floor. Holographic screens floated above control panels on the platforms, though they had already been ravaged by the Flood.

Thel didn't see any doors or elevators going down. They were only in the observation hall of whatever that room was supposed to be. Thel rammed his carbine into the dirty glass window, shattering it in a single blow. Arsen arched an eye ridge as the Arbiter jumped through the glass and landed with a loud thud, crackling and shuffling the broken glass.

Flood spores slid along the ground and hissed in irritation at the Arbiter's presence. Thel turned and aimed the thin barrel at the small parasites as Arsen landed behind him.

Kalika's boots made contact with the metal floor, sending a ringing sound through out the dark hall. Openings in the walls led to more halls, which spider-webbed into other rooms and even more halls. Kalika slowly walked down the large corridor. Lights flickered on and off above her head and on the floor, casting flickering shadows and distracting her peripheral vision. Her eyes couldn't focus on near complete darkness to brightness so rapidly. She continued to mistake her shadows for approaching enemies, and would aim her gun at evasive ghosts.

A Flood bellowed in the hall ahead of her. She flinched and aimed her gun at the moving shadows across the walls. She started to walk forward, but her boots splashed into what seemed to be water. Kalika frowned and looked down. It had a sour and sickening smell. She pulled her feet out of the pools of clear liquid and stepped around it. She looked up and saw a tall parasite at the end of the corridor. Kalika immediately aimed her gun and pulled the trigger. The lights flickered again. When they turned back on, the parasite was half way across the hall. Kalika held the trigger down and the gun began to vibrate as green plasma fueled its tips. The lights turned off again, but for a split second, the parasite's face was lit up with the gun's green light. The disfigured Sangheili's head was twisted at a strange angle and one of its eyes was much too big for its socket.

Kalika fired the pistol, and in a flash of green, the lights turned back on, and the parasite lay collapsed by her feet. Kalika reminded herself to breathe and stepped over the body. She entered the narrow hall that the parasite had come from.

The hall was dark, and thankfully had no flickering lights. Shadows still danced across the floors and the walls from the hallway behind her. She walked swiftly down the skinny hallway and her hearts pounded erratically in her inner ears.

Kalika could do prisons, fight the terrors of space, lead an entire keep, stare the Prophets in the eye, but the one thing she could not do was tight spaces. Having a slight claustrophobia was not the most favorable trait for a Sangheili warrior.

The walls were inches away from her shoulder guards. Kalika's jaws were clamped together tightly and her body was stiff as she stormed down the hall. She ignored the strange, swelling, red and green Flood environment growing on the walls and along the floors. She stepped on a few swollen bubbles, squishing them and spewing green fluid across the ground. She continued walking, ducking under broken pipes and stepping carefully over wires. This must have been some kind of plumbing or electrical control room.

The hall finally opened, much to Kalika's relief, into a much shorter, yet wider wall. Two doors were on either side of the hall, both with red lights to indicate that they were locked. She stepped inside and looked around. It was pretty empty and dismal... and it was a dead end. The gray walls returned warped reflections of herself and the dark tiled floor was slightly cleaner than the evolving hallway behind her. She turned around to go back, but instead of the narrow, Flood infested hallway, a clean wall had noiselessly taken its place. Kalika frowned and stepped back, looking around the room again. She backed up against one of the doors, confused and trying to figure out what was going on. She readied the pistol and pointed it upwards-

The door she leaned on suddenly banged loudly and Kalika was shoved off of it. She spun around and aimed the pistol, panting harshly and growling in warning to whatever was coming.

Thel frowned and put the side of his head up against the door, "...Hello?"

She couldn't understand what was said, but she heard something and also pressed the side of her head against the door. She knocked softly, trying to hear whatever the sound was again.

Thel returned the knock and pulled himself away to look around the door. There was no control panel to open it with. Kalika heard a bang behind her. She turned her head as the door opposite of her opened, and she immediately froze in place.

Thel turned away to ready himself against the coming parasites. The door started to bang rapidly behind him, startling not only himself, but Arsen as well. Arsen turned his head and stared at the door, "Is it her?"

Thel nodded and approached the door cautiously. It stopped banging and a silence filled the room. Arsen aimed his rifles at the approaching Flood spores. A high pitched, muffled squeal came from the other side of the door, followed shortly by a loud boom.

"That was a plasma grenade." Thel said and placed his hand on the door, searching desperately for some kind of way to open it.

Arsen exhaled heavily. He couldn't understand it. How could some one so high of ranking be so concerned about some one so inconsiderate and lowly as she was? It frustrated the hell out of him. Supposedly, they were married, though they bit each others heads off any chance that they were given it.

Thel drew his energy sword and shoved it into the crack of the door on the left. Kalika flinched when two spokes of sharp, burning plasma jutted out of the door beside her. She looked up as a massive wave of Flood advanced toward her. The opposite door revealed a completely infested and overrun room of parasites.

Thel raked his sword back and forth across the crevice of the door as Arsen fired his guns at the parasites on their side of the door. The sword hissed and spat as it struggled to cut its sharp edge through the thick black metal. He shoved the sword through to the middle of the door, and then down again. The door creaked as a jagged piece of it fell heavily to the ground toward Kalika's side. Arsen turned around, keeping his rifles trained on the battlefield ahead of him. His jaws flared in disbelief, "You must be joking."

Kalika leaped over the door and ran past Arsen, "Nope."

Flood charged past the door and bellowed loudly. The trio fell back to the platforms, taking to higher ground. Arsen covered them both with his rifles, stepping back as infected heretics advanced upon him. Several were still trying to mutate. They spat pale green slime onto the floor as the parasites consumed their hosts. A thick sickening brown covering grew across the Sangheili's hides, and then continued to grow, layer by slick layer, twisting ligaments and forcing their faces into disfigured, intense expressions until they were transformed into the abominations of the Flood.

Kalika's plasma pistol had run out in that previous room. Her glove still felt the heat from just the handle of the smaller purple gun. Her other hand was tense and unusable. She crouched down in the middle of the platform, pulling on her black detachable glove and resting on one knee. Her wrist was swollen slightly and the dislocated joint made a bump in her skin where the bone stuck up at a strange angle.

"Soldier, cover us." The Arbiter commanded and put away his sword. He turned away from the edge of the platform as the black armored Stealth soldier stepped back, halting his shooting to allow his rifles to cool down.

Thel crouched down in front of Kalika, his pupils narrowed in observation, his eye-ridges pulled forward slightly and his muzzle wrinkled in concentration. She took on a similar expression, but looked up at him instead as he placed his hand gently under hers. His other hand touched, but did not apply pressure, and curled around the dislocated joint. He looked up after making sure that his hands were properly placed. This wasn't the first time he had had to reset a dislocated joint. They stared at each other for the briefest moment. Kalika's jaws clenched tightly as she inhaled shakily.

"Are you ready?" asked the Arbiter.

"Just get it over w-"

A loud crack sounded from her wrist as Thel shoved the joint back into place. Kalika jerked her head forward and cried out suddenly, then stifled her outcries by clamping her lower jaws inward and exhaling in short, quick outbursts. Thel kept pressure on the wrist to discourage any more swelling and his eye expressions grew more intense in concern. His armored mandibles clenched slightly as Kalika's breathing resettled. She looked up at him again and her expression hardened, "Help him. I can do the rest."

Thel stared at her for a while longer before nodding and standing, reloading his carbine and walking toward the opposite end of the platform. Kalika used her other hand to apply pressure to her wrist as she pushed herself back against the base of the control panels. She lowered her muzzle and pulled her mandibles outward slightly. The tip of her soft red-violet tongue emerged as she pulled her wrist up directly beneath her jaws. She licked the swollen skin swiftly in very few strokes, keeping her eyes trained on the battle field behind the blue holograph screens.

Sangheili had learned to evolve without the use of doctors and medicine, and for minor wounds such as this, their saliva is very able to better heal small cuts and wounds.

Arsen's rifle clicked and hissed, signifying that it was empty. The other followed shortly after. The Stealth soldier growled and threw down his useless guns with a clatter. The Flood before him roared and charged at Arsen as he drew his silvery blue energy sword with a fit of purple clouds and sparks spatting from its silver hilt. Arsen began to step down from the platform, roaring a challenge as he swept his sword through the enemy. The Arbiter stayed on the platform with Kalika and held his carbine up to his eye, aiming at the Flood advancing on Arsen from behind. Kalika pulled her glove back on and winced softly as the suit tightened and adjusted to her wrist.

She rose off of her knee and began to slowly and painfully rotate the joint. The bone adjusted again with several more sickening cracks, forcing the last angles in their correct places. It would be a while before the nerves and muscle completely healed, but it was painfully usable for now. Kalika managed to keep a straight face despite the fact that her wrist felt like it had been beaten a thousand times with a gravity hammer. All of her weapons were spent. Both of her swords had run out of plasma, and the pistol was useless...

She took that back. She pulled the empty weapon from its clasp beside her waist and contemplated the idea in her head.

Thel stopped firing the carbine. It had generated too much heat in his hands and refused to produce any fixated plasma. The Arbiter looked up into the battlefield as he opened the carbine's chamber to reload and cool it off. Flood still came through the doors in small groups of one or two infected heretics with smaller parasites scattering around their feet. Arsen fought off two at a time with long strokes of his sword. The next thing he knew, Kalika ran past him, leaped off of the platform, and into the mob of Flood with an empty plasma rifle.

"Are you CRAZY?!" Thel blurted with a tinge of anger quivering his deep voice.

"Are you truly asking me that?" She growled. She took a low stance, holding her left arm behind her back like she did when she was training the young. The pistol was in her right arm and was being held backwards by the handle. She swung rapidly at a tall parasite's head, using the gun like a club.

It was such a simple sentence. It could have been harmless, but something finally snapped within the Arbiter. He began to step down from the platform as he roared, "What happened to you, Kalika?!" He shoved the chamber closed with a click and advanced on the surrounding enemies.

Kalika looked up in surprise, "What are you talking about?" She yelled as she rammed the two ends of the pistol into a parasite's chest with a popping noise. She shoved again, thrusting the Flood onto the ground. She fell to one knee to duck under a Flood's swinging arm and kicked the parasite hard in its shin.

"What happened to the woman who lived and breathed honor?!" Thel shouted as he fired his carbine repeatedly at the coming parasites. They crumpled before his feet as Arsen spun around, swinging his sword in swift, long, expert strokes. "Who exampled respect and dignity?!" His carbine clicked and the meter was empty. He swung the bottom of the long gun around and swatted a parasite in its face, crushing its host's skull and sending it flying into the ground. "Who stood by my side through everything and anything?!" He threw the heavy gun horizontally into a Flood's chest and drew his sword as the parasite fell back onto the ground. "Who endured the righteous path-" He knelt down as he rolled his shoulder back and then shoved his sword into the fallen parasite's chest. "-and led an entire keep in the absence of its Kaidon?!" He jerked his sword out of the Flood's body and growled at the smaller spores crawling toward them. "What happened to the woman I love?!"

Kalika's jaws clenched at that last sentence and did not mistake his lack of a past-tense on the word "love". He wasn't just talking about now. He was referring to way before the war was ever even contemplated. She swung around and elbowed an opponent hard in his head. It was her turn.

"And what happened to the soldier who fought for what he believed was right, not blindly for the cause of others?!" She roared as she dug the pistol's points again and again into a parasite's face. "Who saw only the best even in the most corrupt of people?!" The parasite rotated its arm and swung down hard as Kalika rose the pistol up to protect herself. Its claws raked through the top half of the pistol as Kalika shifted her grip and grabbed the bottom half. The last green inklings of plasma dripped from the opened handle of her half of the gun. She held the opposite end and rammed the jagged edge into its head. The plasma burned into its skull and it instantly became inanimate, collapsing to the ground as Kalika yanked the half of the pistol out of its head. "Who loved so willingly that he would endanger his life and do what ever it took to get home?!" She stepped forward and hissed at the next mob of Flood advancing from the door. She stormed across the battlefield to meet the enemy, "Who treasured every waking moment of his life; who had hope no matter how dark everything seemed?!"

Arsen took on the one parasite on the right as Thel rounded on the one on the left. Kalika took the middle as Arsen swung his sword through the parasite's torso.

Thel waited for his opponent to attack first, and said with a final bellow, "WAR HAPPENED!" He lunged his sword through the charging Flood's throat and slammed it down hard into the ground as Kalika shoved the broken pistol deep into a parasite's hearts. She leaned back and kicked the jagged piece deeper into its body to ensure that the plasma would burn its insides. Thel tore his sword brutally out of the Flood's throat as the last opponent collapsed to the ground.

The Arbiter stood and looked up at his wife. They were both panting heavily and they were both giving each other a look that expressed a feeling that they very similarly shared.

They were both just tired. The last twenty-seven years couldn't have been friendly to her either. Leading and managing an entire keep wasn't the easiest thing, and neither was being a mother, especially when she was without the support of her husband. For twenty-seven years, they had both contained themselves. Their few visits were brief and very little words were ever spoken because there wasn't much to say.

Kalika gave him such a distraught and weary sigh as she turned away that Thel finally understood. She was trying to help him.

Her strange, obnoxious behavior suddenly made sense.

Thel began to follow after her. She was forcibly pulling his frustrations and anger out of him, whether he liked it or not. He was unconsciously relieving everything that he had kept so pent up tightly within himself for all of those long years. This angry and impatient warrior wasn't Thel 'Vadamee. It was the monster that he had created and contained within himself for so long. He hadn't realized that it had gotten this bad.

Kalika understood him far too well, just as he understood her...

...most of the time.

Arsen stepped up to the larger platform, feeling slightly awkward, and looked over the screens. He swiped his fingers across the windows and tapped at the buttons as he spoke, "Arbiter, you may go ahead. I will stay and assist you from these controls." A door on the far right of the room suddenly beeped and pulled its panels into the walls. "Commander 'Vadumee should have reinforcements ready on the other side of that room where they are pursuing the heretic's leader."

Thel nodded slightly. Kalika walked stiffly with long strides to the door and entered the smaller room. A thick column supported the short room and a door that looked just like all of the doors throughout the entire facility stood adjacent to the first.

The Arbiter kept his distance a few feet behind her and stood against the wall beside the door.

As soon as the panels hissed and shoved closed with a thud beside him, he looked up at Kalika, who was standing with her back toward him, "...Am I not here fighting, if not for love?" he asked wearily.

Kalika slowly turned around and motioned her uninjured arm quizzically, "You call this fighting for love?" She asked with the same amount of languor weighing down her tone.

Thel also spread his arms slightly, "Then what am I fighting for?" His voice was neap and helpless.

Kalika breathed heavily and bowed her head, "You should have asked yourself that question twenty-seven years ago before you left your family."

Thel's eyes widened at her slightly as the words bit and sliced at his hearts, "Kalika, I-"

The opposite door began to hiss and a thick gray fog surged forth from its lower crevices. Thel's communications came alive with the pilot's voice, "Leader! The storm is about it hit! We cannot maintain our position!" His voice was urgent and full of panic.

Vadumee's soothing voice responded calmly, "Bring the Phantoms close to the mine. We're not leaving until the leader of these heretics is dead."

The panels peeled away from each other and a hot wind pulled at the blue and purple feathers on Kalika's armor. It whipped across Thel's face as he followed Kalika out onto a bridge.

The thick bridge connected to a tall tower with ramps spiraling up onto platforms and tiers. Flood swarmed toward their end of the bridge as heretics tried to hold them off at the very bottom ramps. There was no doubt that the heretics' leader was cowering away there. Thel and Kalika ran toward the middle of the bridge where reinforcements were holding off the Flood. As soon as the soldiers recognized the silver flash of the Arbiter's armor, they began to fall back to accompany him.

Commander 'Vadum came online on the coms once again, this time his tone being slightly more stern, "Arbiter, the Flood have spread throughout the station. We don't have enough troops to manage a large infestation. Find the leader of these heretics. Kill him now!"

Thel nodded toward the group of reinforcements, "Understood. Two of you, come with me. The rest of you, stay here and hold your position until the commander returns."

The two closest black-armored troops to him ran forth with him as the rest yelled words of affirmation. The two troops pounded their heavy boots behind the Arbiter as they charged toward the bottom of the ramps leading up to the tower. The storm swirled beneath them in thick green and red arms of cloud and radioactive electricity, pounding the facility with blazing winds and shrieking its rage in their hidden ears.

Kalika deactivated her camouflage and appeared behind a golden armored Sangheili, shoving her foot into his ankle and ramming the ridge of her hand into the side of his throat. He was forced to fall to the ground and onto his side with a subtle bang of his armor. She still had her left arm folded toward the middle of her back, therefore she had to adjust to different means of balance. One of the Unggoy behind her began to prepare a plasma grenade as she lifted her knee up. The Grunt didn't get a chance to throw his grenade and instead got a mouth full of Kalika's boot. She drew her knee up again, outstretching her leg entirely, raising her heel up near her shoulder, and then swiftly dug her armored heel into the collapsed Sangheili's temple. His body flinched as Kalika once again drew her knee up. She could hear the heavy thuds of another heretic's footfalls advancing behind her. She bent her other knee and spun on her heel, hugging her raised knee to her chest as she whirled around. He was several feet away from her when she outstretched her leg at full length, but at the right moment, her heel swatted him across his lower chins. She quickly stood on one leg again and planted her risen foot on the ground, sinking into a lowered defensive stance. The Arbiter surged forth, energy sword drawn by his side, and swung his weapon upward across the heretic's chest. The enemy collapsed and more came down the ramps. One of the soldiers behind Thel cried out, "Cleansing flame!"

A plasma grenade flew over head in a bright blue cloud and stuck in one of the heretic's helmet. Several tried to leap away too late, and the grenade exploded with a high pitched squeal and a flash of plasma. The ramp was clear of opponents (but not of bodies). The Arbiter led the way up to the higher levels where more heretics prepared for them behind crates and tall pillars.

Thel advanced with Kalika flanking his side and the soldiers covering his back. They were close. Thel could smell the leader's trail as they swung, stabbed, shot, and fired through Sesa's useless attempts to slow them down. The Stealth troops behind him had exquisite aim, Thel observed, as they fired their pistols and rifles at heretics ducking behind pillars.

Kalika took the lead and leaped up on top of a large crate half of her size. She slid and gripped the edge as she crouched down, baring her fangs and roaring fiercely. Two heretics ran forward wielding energy swords and swiftly approached the edge of the crate. At the last moment, the Arbiter landed on the crate with a heavy bang. With a foot on either side of Kalika, he swung his energy sword forward, slashing its tips across one of the heretic's face as Kalika lashed out with her leg and slammed the bottom of her foot into the others muzzle.

Kalika looked up, where she was given a... fairly appreciative view, "If it were not for the given circumstances-"

Thel forgot there was some one underneath him when an Unggoy tossed a plasma grenade at his head. His instant reflex was to crouch and duck-

The two soldiers looked away and winced. The grenade flew over him at least, but it came with a price.

Kalika had fallen over the edge and lay blinking at the bottom of the crate, "...or we can forget the current circumstances. That's alright, too."

The Arbiter was still in a kneeling position and had one hand clenched over his sword while the other grabbed the inside of his leg plate. He couldn't blame Kalika for angling her helmet just so that he had crouched directly above its sharp point, but perhaps if she wasn't playing games and looking up, he wouldn't have to deal with this at all. "Can we please..." He managed after a while, blinking his eyes, "...focus on the mission... and save the play for afterward?"

He slowly rose with a wince and stepped down from the crate, walking stiffly toward a door on their left that led inside. Kalika sat up, "I was not the one jumping on top of people."

At that precise moment, Rtas 'Vadumee rounded the corner. He frowned disapprovingly, "Who was jumping on top of whom?"

Kalika stood as Thel groaned softly in agitation. The door panels disappeared into the walls with an accommodating beep as the Arbiter quickly regained himself. They walked into a smaller, darker room with three other doors. Kalika took the lead again as Thel limped briskly behind her.

The middle door opened first, revealing a humongous room. Two ramps on either side of the chamber spiraled upward to higher levels, and up ahead was another door.

Kalika's eyes narrowed on an Elite in crimson armor running toward the door- Sesa 'Refumee. She immediately took off running after him, quickly gaining. Thel willed himself to ignore the pain in between his legs and abdomen, and ran as fast as he could manage to follow her.

Kalika almost had him. She was focused and readied herself for the pounce-

Another heretic came out of nowhere and barreled toward her, wielding an energy blade and roaring a challenge, catching her attention as he bore down on her. Kalika was forced to be distracted and ducked down, throwing a punch into his lower rib cage. He choked, but swung his sword around. He wasn't going to let her escape.

Thel ran past. He had one mission; one goal, and it was straight ahead of him. The door up ahead parted for Sesa as Thel thundered behind him. Sesa entered the door, but before Thel could follow him, a bright blue plasma barrier, not unlike the ones in High Charity's prisons, crackled to life and blocked the door way. Thel stopped running and slowed as he approached the door.

Sesa was slightly taller than he was and wore bright red armor. HUD goggles covered his eyes and wrapped around his head. A similar spiny breathing apparatus stuck up from his back, and it shook and shifted as Sesa leaned in toward the door. "This will save me from the storm, but you will be consumed." He sneered in a husk voice.

Thel rose his fist and pounded it angrily against the barrier as the panels of the door slammed shut behind it.


	7. Log 06

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

Edited by ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Forerunner Gas Mine, Planet Threshold

20:57 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 06

The Arbiter turned away from the closed door as Rtas 'Vadumee ran up the steps toward him. The Commander slowed and tilted his head at Thel's irritable expression. "Arbiter," He began as Thel strode up to him. "Where is he?"

The Arbiter paused beside the Commander to give him a knowing glance. Rtas stared at him for a while and looked back up toward the door, understanding. Thel stepped down and walked toward Kalika.

"Stinking Flood bait boxed himself in tight." Rtas spat, his bright green eyes narrowed on the plasma shields and the locked doors. He turned to look back at the Arbiter, "We'll never get through this."

Thel looked up at a pedestal in the middle of the room where Kalika pointed one of her fingers. She stood slightly to his right as he observed the hologram of the entire facility. It was a tall structure with long arms of pillars arching down toward its wider bases. Three large cables connected the two halves of the facility and areas where the Flood had caused damage to the facility were marked in red dots.

An idea sparked quite suddenly.

"...Then we will force him out."

"...How?" Rtas inquired, turning his head to look at Thel with a raised eye-ridge.

Thel rose his finger and also pointed at the hologram. "The cable..." He said as Rtas also looked up at the cables at the top of the hologram. "I'm going to cut it."

The two soldiers were standing behind Kalika, also observing the rotating hologram. Arsen entered the room with a readied rifle as Thel lowered his head, "Get everyone back to the ships."

Rtas nodded and began to relay the commands through the communications as Arsen approached them. Thel nodded toward Kalika, "That includes you."

Kalika's jaws flared as she folded her arms across her chest plates, "As if."

Thel grit the tips of his mandibles as he took a few steps forward. "You will follow them to the ships," He commanded with a very serious furrow of his eye-ridges, "Especially since you are-" He stopped himself when Kalika gave him a warning glare.

Rtas frowned and looked up. He started to walk toward Kalika with a slight bow of his head. "Especially since she is... what?" He asked in a dangerous tone.

Kalika refused to look at him and gave Thel a look of annoyance. Rtas stood beside her and flared his nostrils to sniff her scent. The other three soldiers tilted their heads in confusion.

Rtas suddenly whirled around, glaring angrily at the Arbiter, "I thought that I said no mating on the field!" He growled.

Arsen blinked in disbelief, "I had my eyes on them the whole time. There is no way that they-"

Kalika shrugged her shoulders, "Things were getting intense, we didn't know if we would make it out alive, and-"

"Impossible!" Arsen blurted angrily.

Kalika gave Arsen an almost annoyed expression, but she smiled at how uncomfortable the warrior seemed. "When?!" was all that he could manage through his clenched jaws.

Rtas now turned on Arsen, "You had one job!"

Kalika found this all extremely amusing, "Arsen's job was to make sure that there was no mating?" She smiled at Rtas, "I am flattered."

A growl thundered in Rtas' chest as he advanced toward her. "When?" He repeated Arsen's question.

Kalika folded her arms again across her chest. "Arsen, what was the one time that you were not watching us?"

"Just recently." His eyes were squinted in absolute detestation. Kalika slowly walked up to him, widening her eyes at him knowingly as Thel rubbed at the pain in his muzzle.

"Not unless you-"

And then it hit him like the impact of a plasma bomb.

Kalika smiled softly as Arsen's eyes widened in disbelief. "That couldn't have been more than five minutes!" He growled, taking an angry step forward. When Kalika tilted her head at him again, his chest swelled with rage, "Are you saying that when Ral was trying to speak kindly of you, you were in there-" He nearly spat with loathing. "That is impossible." He said after a while. "You are both in full armor, not to mention, you have suits on."

"Do you really need me to explain it to you?" Kalika asked innocently.

Arsen was ready to lose his temper. He couldn't help but to feel like she was trying to prove that she was more intelligent than he was. He had to stop himself for a moment. He had almost forgotten that she was just a selfish, stuck-up, obnoxious female looking for attention. Why was he allowing her to get under his skin?

He unclenched his jaws and loosened his shoulders, but he did not relax his expression. Instead, his eye-ridges pulled back and he curled his lip in disgust, baring several long fangs. "No." He said acidly. "I do not wish to know."

Rtas rubbed his snout and turned to walk away, "Every damn time." He grumbled.

Thel finally pulled his palm away from his muzzle and looked up at Kalika with a weary look. "Fine. You are coming with me; the rest of you, to the ships."

She would find a way to follow him anyway, whether he liked it or not. A victorious smile crept across Kalika's face, infuriating the hell out of Arsen, and she fell in line behind the Arbiter. Arsen exhaled sharply and looked up at Thel, "We will not forget your sacrifice." Rtas and his three soldiers split up with the Arbiter and ran for the door as Kalika led the way up to the spiral ramps.

Arsen followed Rtas outside where a Phantom waited with its blue rays already trained and hovering over the platforms. "Oh." Rtas suddenly said. "Keep your blade handy." He advised as they stepped over bodies to get to the ship. "I doubt the cable can withstand the bite."

Rtas stopped at the edge of the blue circle glowing on the ground and nodded toward his soldiers to continue ahead of him. Arsen quirked an eye-ridge at him as the two other soldier were taken up by the light and up toward the belly of the Phantom. Rtas' bright green eyes gave him a knowing look. "You never know; where those two are concerned."

Arsen had to believe him. He did not see _those_ turns of events coming. When he was informed of an exception to the mission, he was not expecting her. When 'Vadumee had assigned him his "special mission", he was not expecting this. He most certainly didn't expect them to get away with it. It infuriated him that he couldn't figure out how she had outsmarted him, and when he tried to, images that should not ever go through his mind made him want to recoil.

"She set you up." Rtas mused as they floated up toward the ship.

Arsen blinked and looked up at the Commander, who was observing him with a thoughtful gaze. When Arsen stared at him in confusion, Rtas smiled in understanding. "She may be pretty, but she is intelligent. Those are the most dangerous kinds of females." He said as they were gently placed on the floor of his ship. "Pull the ships away from the storm, but remain close to the facility." He demanded of the pilot in the cabin. "We need to be ready to assist them if they need us." Arsen followed Rtas into the cabin as the other two soldiers remained behind.

"The only way to beat her at her own game is not to play at all." He said in a lower voice, looking over the Jiralhanae's shoulder and observing the screens. The storm was displayed on one screen behind a grid as a swirling red vortex slowly made its way to their coordinates. The other screens displayed temperatures, wind currents, and other data of the outside world. One yellow dot made its way up to the top of the facility- no doubt, the Arbiter. The female couldn't be read off of the radar, or any of the other screens for that matter. Two chairs were occupied at the front of the of the cabin by Jiralhanae, who read the screens and stopped speaking in hushed voices when 'Vadumee entered the room. Rtas took a seat in the single chair behind them as Arsen took position slightly behind him.

"You seem to have her figured out, Commander." Arsen mused in return.

'Vadumee nodded up toward the Jiralhanae, "Pilot, how long until them storm strikes?"

"An hour, sir." The Brute said with a gnarled voice.

A heavy huff escaped 'Vadumee's flaring nostrils as he bowed his head in thought. After a while, he lifted his chins and scratched absent-mindedness at the base of his half-jaws, "She and I have been... previous acquaintances."

Surprised, Arsen looked down at Rtas. "For how long?"

'Vadumee tilted his head at the question thoughtfully and at the boldness of Arsen's curiosity. "I met her when we were very young." He smiled softly at a memory that Arsen assumed was associated with his statement. "'Vadamee and I were both children."

Arsen hadn't imagined that they knew each other _that_ long. He arched his ridges slightly, "Was she as bad then, as she is now?"

"All my Phantoms are in the air, Arbiter. Go ahead! Cut the cable!" Rtas commanded through the communications as soon as the Phantoms cleared of the storm's path. There was no reply, but he could see 'Vadamee's yellow dot move across the top of the facility.

'Vadumee shook his head slightly, "One would think that she was spoiled and weak off of the riches of her family. Despite her higher standing, she was the kindest and most respectable girl that I had the honor of meeting."

Again; not what he was expecting to hear.

"Her... higher standing?"

"Yes." Rtas paused for a moment, keeping an eye on the screens. Eventually, he looked up at Arsen, "She was studying with the Priestesses before she became a Noble."

That explained where she had learned her close combat skills. The Priestesses were worshipers of the gods, and they were not females that you wanted to mess with. They were known or their attitude if their ways were questioned, and were respected for their knowledge. They held the largest amount of power that any female could have. These robed women performed rituals of marriage, funerals, and it was their duty to protect they holy relics of the Forerunners. It was not a job to be taken lightly. It required years of rigorous study, harsh training, challenging trials, and it was both mentally and physically trying.

Rtas looked down again, his attention focused back on the screens. "The Priestesses were walking the streets as they do every week, singing of their gods and ancient legends in the old languages. 'Vadamee wanted to follow them, despite my wanting to explore the markets. Among the Priestesses was a very young girl who trailed behind the others, wearing red apprentice robes and reading from the ancient scripts. When she sang solo, Thel ignored me and disappeared into the crowd to go to find out what the sound was."

'Vadumee's eyes took on a brighter kind of light as the memory came to life before him. "'Vadamee stared like a lovestruck fool when she turned the corner. He was... enchanted by their gorgeous voices and subdued by their beautiful features. The girl looked up from her book, and for the briefest moment, they saw each other." He began to chuckle softly, "She dropped her book and 'Vadamee ran out into the street to help her."

"Crazy fool." He chortled. "She was, of course, punished for her clumsiness, and he followed her- what is taking them so long?" He suddenly growled. Arsen looked up at the screens again, observing the yellow dot flashing at the top of the facility.

As if on cue, the top half of the facility jerked and began to tilt. 'Vadumee sat up on the edge of his seat, activating his communications, "That's one." He looked up at the cameras of the live feed of the mining facility. "By the Prophets, look at the station list!"

Indeed, the facility began to sway on two cables, and Arsen watched in amazement as the large structure began to move away from them.

Kalika had to readjust as the floor tilted beneath her feet. She held a normal energy blade within her right hand, allowing her left arm to remain immobile by her side. Thel must have just cut the first cable. She looked up at the second pillar that protected the cable. The uppermost level of the station had three ramps in a triangle shape with two slopes connecting to a full floor. Three pillars stood at the corners of each ramp, each pillar surrounding the thick cables that connected them with the storage ship.

A Sangheili in gold armor charged toward her with a blue plasma blade readied before his chest. A growl rippled through her throat as she surged forth to meet him, holding her sword up. At the last several feet of distance, she jumped up, confusing the enemy for a moment. He reacted and motioned his sword upward to slash across her waist, but she swung her blade outward to knock his attack away.

Now... she hadn't exactly thought this through. When it came to fighting, it was always an improvision, and therefore, she always ended up doing something crazy or ridiculous.

This was one of those times.

Without arms to create an attack, she rose her knees above either of his shoulders, slamming her thighs on either side of his head as they both went down toward the ground. The heretic gasped in confusion, pain, and shock as the back of his head bounced off of the ground. Kalika's knees slammed down on either side of his throat, and she sat up, raising her sword. One spoke went into his parted mouth as the other dug through the top of his neck when she brought the sword down. She jerked the blade forward until his body was completely still.

She pulled her sword away, standing and looking across the ramps where the Arbiter was already making his way to the third pillar. Kalika ran forward toward the second column, disregarding the Sentinels that flew toward her. She swung her sword across the small slit in the pillar as soon as it was in reach. The cable creaked, but did not break. She cut at the cable again and again until there was a satisfactory snap. The station jerked and tilted again, creaking dangerously on its single cord.

"One final cable, Arbiter!" Rtas said into Thel's communications. The Arbiter approached the last column, shoving a Sentinel off of his blade. He readied his sword and swung through the cable again and again.

"What made her change?" Arsen couldn't help but to allow his curiosity get the best of him. Perhaps he could find reason to better understand the unpredictable female.

Perhaps.

Rtas cast a strange expression at him before breathing a little more excessively than necessary. "Ask me again after we make it out alive from this mission."

The station creaked for a moment before disconnecting with the larger ship. The facility fell before them, rapidly dropping toward an outstretched arm of the storm.

"Follow them!" 'Vadumee commanded. Their Phantoms dipped their noses and dived, sending those without chairs into the floor as the large ships kept pace with the falling structure. "That did it! The station is in free fall!"

Thel noticed this when it felt like his stomach tried to jump up into his throat. The wind howled and screamed in his ears as the many parts of the station groaned from the pressure. He began to run toward the elevator (a platform that fit the hole in the floor with a single panel on it), doing his best to disregard the nauseous feeling in his chest. Kalika was already at the edge of the platform, but she was struggling to keep her feet on the floor. The Sentinels were far above them by now if they hadn't already been crushed against the arched columns overhead. The Arbiter came down the ramps as Kalika grabbed onto the elevator's control panel. The facility began to vibrate, jerking up and down as they drew closer to the planet's red gaseous surface. As soon as Thel's boot touched down on the elevator, Kalika slammed her palm on the switch button.

The elevator immediately began to drop at rapid speeds. The tunnel flashed red lights across its octagonal shaft as the elevator fell, shuddering and whirring as it went. Thel looked up, watching the skies above them grow smaller and dimmer. Kalika's hand suddenly clenched around his wrist, catching him by surprise and making him look down at her curiously. She stood by his side with her eyes closed and her other hand balled up in a fist. She looked like she was going to be sick.

With nobody else around, she didn't care to camouflage to hide her slight claustrophobia. She had nothing to hide from him.

Well... almost nothing.

The elevator opened into the tall room with its spiral ramps descending down onto the floor again. The blue barrier still protected the door far down below, but Thel's new target was the open door on the adjacent wall that led to the outside. As soon as the elevator stopped, Kalika released his wrist, opened her eyes, and they both began to run down the steep slopes. When they were far enough below the platform, Kalika leaped off of the edge of the ramp and landed on one of the lower platforms with a low "thud".

Thel followed her, landing with a much louder boom, and together they jumped off at the same time to the floor level. The entire building was shaking rapidly, making it hard to meet solid ground with balance. Kalika activated her camouflage as they approached the door. Its panels parted just as Thel followed her lead, revealing a room full of armored heretics waiting for them. He could see the swift movement up ahead where Kalika had already made her way to the back of the room. A dark open shaft dropped down below to the lower levels. The heretics looked up when the door opened, but Thel was already halfway across the room. Kalika ran ahead and fell down into the chamber below noiselessly where more troops waved their weapons' points at the shadowy corners. Thel held his breath as they hurried past the unknowing Sangheili and Unggoy. They had little time. Thel couldn't allow him to escape again. Sesa's scent trailed ahead through an open doorway where searing winds lashed like whips through the already hot air. Thel had to blink his eyes as they ran outside where there were shortcuts to the lower area of the mining facility.

"Do you know where you are going?" Thel called ahead as his camouflage fell away. Sangheili wearing Sesa's colors looked up and pointed their weapons at the Arbiter as he descended down the ramps toward them. The soldier closest to him opened fire, although, not for long. A seemingly invisible force flung him off of the ramp, and shortly after, Kalika appeared further down. Her foot dug into another Elite's muzzle to clear Thel's path, also shoving him off the platform and into the embrace of the storm below.

She looked up and nodded, "Always." She motioned her hand toward the bottom of the ramp where another open doorway led into the facility. Again, they ran on the tips of their toes.

"The Oracle must be saved!" A voice called ahead. Thel recognized Sesa's voice reverberating in the halls and entered them with a sudden change of air temperature. The screaming wind was left behind him, and as the sound of it died away, the blaring sirens and red lights met him instead.

The halls were so dark that he couldn't even see the shadow of Kalika unless the emergency lights reflected off of her armor. He followed the sound of her footfalls as she led him on Sesa's path. The next thing he knew, they were running through doors again and the wind found him once more. Sesa's red armor caught his eye on an open balcony where two purple and gold Banshees rested on the platform. Kalika disappeared and Thel pressed his back against the wall, preparing himself for a fight.

The purr of a Banshee sounded instead of the loading of a gun. He was running away, still. Thel should have known better. He help up his carbine and aimed around the open door, firing at the flying ship. The wind was so powerful that none of his shots hit the target. He looked back down at the other Banshee where Kalika was resting her arm along the dorsal hood. Her eyes had that dangerous light among them that told him that she was devising a crazy plan.

Sesa was getting away and Thel had no time for her games. He couldn't leave her here. He approached the single Banshee and looked down at Kalika's mischievous gaze in a fearful manner.

"Have you ever heard of Banshee surfing?" She asked, still observing the Banshee's hood.

"This is no time for games-"

"Do you trust me?" Her eyes squinted ever so slightly as her gaze focused on him. He stared back with a knowing look. She eventually nodded her head, "Do not answer that."

She walked around to the front of the Banshee and yelled over the wind, "Get in!"

He didn't like this, but he obliged and swung himself into the cockpit. The Banshee hissed as his fingers hovered over the controls. With a roar of the engine and a warm blue glow of the thrusters, he took off with the hope that Kalika had a plan.

The top of the Banshee banged above his head, making him flinch in surprise and quickly readjust his course.

"What in the name of-"

"What lunacy!" The Commander said over the communications. "He'll never escape the maelstrom in a Banshee!" 'Vadumee leaned forward in his chair, placing two index fingers against the base of his half jaws that gave him his nickname. "Wait. The hanger! There was a Seraph fighter inside. Arbiter, you know what to do."

Thel checked the cameras, and sure enough, behind him, banshees follows him with bombs weighing their launchers in a bright glow of green. He looked ahead and frowned.

"Remove your rear end from the front of the ship." He said, then realizing that she couldn't hear him.

That was not the response that the Commander was expecting. "Excuse me?" Rtas inquired in a dangerous tone.

"I was not addressing you, Leader."

"...Then who are you addressing?"

"Kalika is riding on top of the Banshee."

'Vadumee stared for a long time at the blue monitors on the deck as Arsen rubbed his fingers across his eye-ridges.

The claws on all four of Kalika's armored toes dug into the heavy armor of the Banshee and her textured gloves were pressed against the hood with spread palms. The wind beat and screamed wildly in her ears, slamming her down and lifting her up seemingly all at once in an extreme jolting manner. Her eyes were closed tightly. She did not dare move a single muscle.

The Banshee twisted and wobbled through the air as Thel followed Sesa toward the lower sector of the facility.

"Are you still alive, Arbiter? We're keeping pace as best we can." 'Vadumee reassured him.

Thel focused his attention on the balcony that Sesa was headed toward. He didn't want to open fire with Kalika struggling to stay on the hood. He could see Sesa land on the platform and fumble out of the Banshee. He slunk into the safety of the facility as Thel still progressed toward the ledge. He pressed hard on the thrusters to give them speed. Kalika growled with the intensified strain. Her arms were shaking and her feet were cramping. She managed to open her eye lids, but kept the protective membrane over her sclera. The ledge was up ahead.

The wind softened as they approached the lee side of the building. Kalika managed to curl herself up into a crouch and steadied her hands. When the Banshee's nose was feet away from the ledge, Kalika shoved down hard with her legs just as Thel began to pull down. She soared through the air for a moment and landed strangely on her fatigued legs.

The force was too much and unexpected. Too late, Thel tried to pull up. The Banshee twisted and dived. He ejected right before the ship rammed itself into the ledge with a loud shriek of tearing metal and seething flames. Thel was shoved out of the Banshee and up into the air. Kalika leaned dangerously over the ledge with an outstretched arm down toward him, supporting herself with her stronger arm. He reached up and wrapped his hand around hers as the Banshee fell into the churning dark clouds.

Kalika flared her mandibles and roared, closing her eyes as her arm shivered with the strain but still using every ounce of her strength to ensure that he did not fall. She held on long enough for him to pull himself up. He grabbed the platform with his other hand and released Kalika, who sat back and breathed heavily.

Thel looked up at her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded stiffly and stood, bowing her head against the harsh breath of the storm. Thel pulled himself up and also bowed his head, struggling to make it to the entrance. The door was stuck open, allowing them to enter the dark building. The red lights still flashed and a siren echoed somewhere off in the distance.

They both breathed heavily as they ran up a ramp and hung a left into a twisting hallway. Thel had been here before. He knew, because Ral's body still lay in the corner of the room. The parasite was already here. Several infected bodies made their way toward Ral as Thel and Kalika ran up the ramps and through the open doorway, avoiding the Flood and the few stray heretics left behind.

If it were not for Kalika's guidance, he wouldn't be able to track down Sesa as fast as they did now. She ran as if she had known the place her whole life. They were going back through the maze of hallways and elevators, but the trip seemed so much shorter than coming through the first time. This was most likely because of the fact that they were dodging past everything and avoiding quarrels with the Flood and the heretics. Thel noticed this as they barreled down red-flashing tunnels, swerving around tight corners, and crossing large chambers. Thel remembered there being more bodies than this. Had the parasite already been through here so quickly? Several stray Unggoy ran around the rooms, flailing their arms in panic. The Sangheili had the nerve to aim their weapons, but Thel and Kalika either dodged around or jumped over them.

Within a matter of minutes, they had reached the hanger. Kalika disappeared as they rounded the corner into the three-storied room. Thel, alone, ran into the room and looked up at the Seraph. Sesa 'Refumee leaped up onto the hood of the ship and prepared to enter.

Thel stepped forward and called out in a demanding tone, "Turn, heretic."

Sesa turned at the sound of his voice and curled his lip with a smile tugging on his cheeks. "Arbiter..." The title rolled across his tongue as if sampling the taste of it and finding it amusing. He stepped down off of the ship, shifting it, and motioned with a buck of his muzzle toward the air, "I would rather die by your hand than have the Prophets lead me to slaughter."

Thel tilted his head, blinked, and furrowed his eye ridges together, "Who has taught you these lies?"

A sort of humming sound came from above. Thel looked up and stared at a levitating device descending toward him. It was a robot of obvious Forerunner design with its sleek silver surface and simple yet recognizable structure. A bright blue light glowed in the center of its rounded, cubed body and dark blue thrusters from the inside allowed it to float before the Arbiter. Thel blinked in surprise. "The Oracle (**19**)?"

"Hello!" The device said in a cheerful manner. Its voice was distorted by its speakers and the machine's lack of natural vocal cords. "I am 343 Guilty Spark." Guilty Spark hovered above Thel's face. "I am the monitor of installation zero-four."

Sesa spoke again, motioning his hand toward Guilty Spark. "Ask the Oracle about Halo; how they would sacrifice us all for nothing!" He growled.

"More questions?" The Oracle inquired with a happy bounce. "Splendid! I would be happy to assist!"

Thel stared doubtfully at the Oracle. He could not believe the heretics' beliefs of their corrupt theocracy. The Prophets were holy and righteous in their paths. They had one good purpose; to carry the Covenant aboard the Great Journey. Why would they betray their own? Thel would not have served them so loyally for so long all for nothing. Then again, doubts had always risen to his mind. His own wife had always doubted the Prophets, even if she had trained with the Priestesses on Sanghelios. He was afraid that he would lose faith in a worthy cause if he had doubts. When he did have doubts, he always kept them in the back of his head. Now, an Oracle, the very guardian of his faith, was trying to affirm those doubts. Everything that he had believed in and fought for was... a lie? Was this what Kalika meant?

...What _was_ he fighting for?

No. It was wrong. The Oracle could have been misled or reprogrammed by the heretics. How-

Reality yanked him hard from his thoughts. Plasma flared across the surface of his shields and knocked him back. He fumbled behind a pillar and readied his carbine.

"The Elites are blind, Arbiter!" Sesa called. Kalika looked down from her position on the second floor. Sesa help up two circular devices in each palm and said, "...but I will make them see." The two orbs began to glow and spiraled up into the air.

"Holographs..." Kalika muttered in amusement. Sure enough, three Sesa 'Refumees hovered in midair, each with a jet pack, and each dual wielding plasma rifles. Kalika backed up and looked around herself, searching for a weapon of her own. Guilty Spark floated lazily about the room, twisting and turning while humming a merry tune.

Kalika's face darkened the moment she recognized the tune. It was looking for her. She uncloaked and stood as Sesa attacked Thel below. She would help him as soon as she was finished. Guilty Spark stopped humming and hovered before her face.

Her two bright blue eyes stared into his one bright blue eye. She breathed shakily and said in a heavier tone, "Begin data logging application."

"Preparing data log." Guilty Spark replied. "Code name required for access."

Kalika closed her eyes and sighed heavily, "Adversity."

"Recording for code name: Adversity."

Kalika blinked, and Guilty Spark's eye flickered in return. "Let's make this quick." She said and crossed her arms.

Thel ducked behind another tall pillar on the west side of the room. He panted heavily and reloaded his carbine.

"How did the Prophets buy your loyalty, Arbiter?" Sesa asked from the opposite side of the room. A heavy exhale shuddered beneath Thel's helmet. "With a new command? A new fleet?"

Sesa appeared beside him with a haughty smirk. Thel spun around and fired his weapon multiple times at him, but his image disintegrated and a silver sphere fell to the ground. Another holograph.

"Or was it the promise?" Sesa continued, his voice drifting in different areas of the room. "Their 'Great Journey'?"

Thel spun around the pillar and aimed his gun at another Sesa. Before he could pull the trigger, Kalika appeared on the second floor with her arm wrapped around Sesa's throat. "ARBITER, W-" He choked when a gun was shoved between his mandibles and hot plasma seared his throat. Kalika quickly released him as if she were disgusted with him. Sesa crumpled on the ramp beneath him and looked up in confusion at the female approaching him. "...Who...?" He tried to speak, but he was dying quickly.

Kalika stood over him and pointed her rifle at his muzzle. "I'm his wife." The plasma built swelled at the rifle's tip before she released a volley upon Sesa's head.

Thel approached when Kalika had finished. She stepped back and curled her lip, "I can not stand it when they monologue."

Thel reached down and grabbed Sesa by his jet pack. He drug him off of the ramp and across the floor. Kalika stood for a moment before following.

"Unfortunate." Guilty Spark proclaimed as Thel approached him beside the open doors. Thel was to await the arrival of 'Vadumee's ship here. Until then, he could perhaps get some answers out of the Oracle. Guilty Spark continued, "His edification was most enjoyable."

"I had no choice, Holy Oracle. This Heretic imperiled the Great Journey." Thel replied.

The gates opened behind him as the Phantoms approached. The Arbiter lay down Sesa's body and the Oracle turned to look at him, "Oracle? Sacred Journey? Why do you meddlers insist on using such inept verbiage?"

Thel stared at 343 for a while, preparing an answer until a bright blue plasma shield surrounded Guilty Spark. Kalika looked up in surprise, recognizing the the same force that had kept her prisoner in High Charity.

The monitor cried out in shock as its body was pulled against its will toward a Phantom ship that must have landed earlier. "OH MYYY!" It wailed. The Arbiter turned and looked upon the Jiralhanae Chieftain, Tartaras, who held the monitor against his specialized gravity hammer.

"That is the Oracle!" Thel said with agitation singeing his tone.

Tartarus grabbed the Oracle and tossed him casually into the glowing blue light of the Phantom. Thel watched in horror as the monitor floated up into the ship and disappeared. "Hmm, so it is." Tartarus snorted and kicked his chin upwards. "Come. We are leaving this system."

Thel still stared at Tartarus with an irritated expression. Kalika walked around him and looked around expectantly at the Arbiter. She began to walk up to the Phantom, but Tartarus lifted his hand to stop her. "The Arbiter boards first, disrespectful scum." He growled.

Kalika stopped and her pupils narrowed into slits. "Why should it matter, he who smells of piss?" She asked acidly.

"Just because you are the Arbiter's play toy does not permit you any special treatment, female. I suggest you stop acting as such." Tartarus said as he glared down at her with blazing orange eyes. Kalika glared back with widened eyes. Before Kalika could speak or make a move, Thel stepped between them. He grabbed Kalika's hand and looked up at Tartarus with a warning show of his teeth.

"Let us go." He said and walked with Kalika by his side. Kalika was still trying to glare at Tartarus over her shoulder and would part her mandibles to speak, but Thel tugged on her to stop. Kalika stopped walking and pulled her hand away. Thel sighed wearily and turned his head to look at her. She gave him the most unforgiving, angry, and hurt expression he had seen in a very long time. Thel shook his head. "Not here, Kalika. Not now. Let us reach safety and we shall figure things out from there. I promise."

She stared at him with that same expression a while longer before stepping back. Thel nodded and stepped forth on board the ship. The gravity thrusters pulled up on board. His eyes had to adjust to the darkness of the Phantom. He nodded to Rtas in the cabin as Kalika rose up behind him. He walked wearily toward the back of the ship and stood in his normal position beside the drop doors. Kalika took her position by his side as the ship hummed and jolted against the turbulence of the storm. She didn't care to stand.

Kalika slid her back against the wall and sat down on the floor, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her arms against her thighs. Thel arched and eye ridge at her curiously as the ship tilted. Tartarus walked toward the cabin, leaving them both alone for the moment.

Thel finally gave in and sighed. He, too, sat down with an outstretched arm. He wrapped his arm around her tightly and pulled her close against his side. She exhaled with fatigue and rested her head on his shoulder, leaning her knees against his and parting her jaw in a small yawn. Thel, too, yawned, and then rested his cheek against her head. He held her close, listening to her soft breathing, the hum of the ship's engines, and to the steady quieting of the storm as they left it all behind them.

**Author's Notes**

19) The Covenant gods are the Forerunners. Any technology or artifacts known to be Forerunner are sacred, according to the Prophets. Just as the Halo rings are sacred, the "Oracles" are the monitors and guardians of the Halos, and therefore hold high ranking and respect in the Covenant's religion.


	8. Log 07

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

Edited by ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

20 October, Year 2552

Covenant Holy City, High Charity

22:34 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 07

Rtas 'Vadumee leaned back in his levitating chair with a flare of his nostrils. His focus drifted from the open file on his desk to the steady beat of footsteps outside of his chambers.

"Come." He said and placed a finger on his desk to minimize the report on the embedded black screen. He looked up as the doors to his quarters opened silently and nodded his head to Arsen.

The soldier hadn't yet changed out of his black Stealth armor. He had removed his HUD contact lenses, revealing his true red eye color. His shoulders were tense and pulled back, signifying his fatigue even as he walked tall with the dignified stride of a specialized Covenant soldier.

"Greetings, warrior. That was a fine mission. It was very well carried out." Rtas said and leaned forward in his chair.

"Thank you, Commander." Arsen said quietly without meeting Rtas' gaze.

'Vadumee folded his hands under his single chin and rested his elbows on his desk, "What is troubling you, brother?"

Arsen stood before his desk in silence. His gaze shifted toward the window that took up the entire east side of 'Vadumee's chambers. The room was dark and the shadows were still. Covenant carriers drifted among the sea of stars in the large black space on the other side of the window. Arsen didn't look away from the window, but asked quietly, "When will the soldiers who fell at Gas Mine be recognized?"

Rtas kept a thoughtful and cool expression. He paused before replying, "Perhaps never."

Arsen turned his head and looked at Rtas. "So Ral and Yummee's efforts will be forgotten? Erased from history forever?"

Rtas lowered his hands from his face. "I know that Ral and Yummee were important to you. The three of you served together for more than ten years. I am sorry for your losses, Arsen, but you must understand that this is the will of the Prophets."

"Because of that damned female?!" Arsen shouted instantaneously. "Do not deny this, Commander, for you know that it is true! Everything started to go wrong the moment she set foot on the ship! If she weren't here, Ral and Yummee would still be alive! She finds this war humorous and laughs in our faces when we have endured twenty-seven years of this hell! She brings nothing but trouble, and because of her, the fallen will never be recognized!"

"What would you have me do, Arsen?" Rtas asked calmly. "The Prophets decided for her to accompany us. It was the Prophets who decreed that she as well as any associated with her to remain hidden. The only reason that the Arbiter and I have not been erased is because our actions too drastically changed events."

"And who helped you to change those events?!" Arsen asked with a curl of his lip.

"That is not the point, Arsen!" Rtas rose his voice. "If you question her, you question the Prophets! Do you understand me?"

Arsen's chest fell with a heavy exhale and said with a weighed tone, "Yes... Commander."

"Will that be all?" Rtas asked in a sterner tone. Arsen still stood before his desk, but in a much more defeated manner than when he first entered the room. Rtas sighed again, "I am truly sorry that things must be this way, Arsen. Your friends were honorable and exceedingly loyal to their duties."

Arsen stared quietly at his desk where he could see Ral's last report minimized on the screen. "Toward the end of the mission..." Arsen began. Rtas tilted his head curiously. "...You told me to ask you after we completed the mission... why she changed."

Rtas nodded and stood from his chair. "Join me by the window." The Commander took a few steps up on to the raised floor beside the window where four chairs sat against the narrower walls. "Can I get you anything to drink?" He asked before he sat down.

"No, thank you sir." Arsen said as he took the opposite seat closest to the window. Rtas nodded and relaxed into his chair. "I suppose I should start at the beginning."

Arsen kept his attention on Rtas as he looked out among the multicolored stars and dust clouds. He breathed shallowly before speaking. "As you very well know, the states Vadam and Vadum border each other. Thel and I first met each other in the hunting grounds as children. He saved me from a Helioskrill attack, and although we did not escape without a few scars, we became very close friends."

Again, that same light brightened the vibrant green of Vadumee's eyes. "We were rebellious boys then and we met each other often at the border. One of those days, we decided to travel to the nearby city where we first met Kalika."

Rtas looked up at Arsen, "Despite how unlikely the couple seems, they have quite a romantic story. After he saw her in the market, he followed her, and I had no choice but to come along. No matter how much I told him to turn back, he was insistent on returning the clasp of her cloak that she had left behind in the street. It was near dark by the time we reached the temple. He approached the lower window and returned the clasp to her. After that night, he visited her often in secret, and I came along every now and then. The three of us became very close. She was kind, fun, gentle, caring, and knew how to make a game out of everything."

Rtas looked out into space again. "When Thel was caught speaking with her by one of the elder Priestesses, they were both punished severely; Thel most of all. He was so badly injured that his family had to cover up the incident in embarrassment. It broke Thel's hearts when she unexpectedly was moved to an unknown location for 'advanced training' the next day."

"It was she who taught him how to create his _doarmir_ cloak. When he discovered that she had been moved, he created it to remind himself of his mistakes; not only in his foolish combat against the elderly female but not to underestimate even the most unlikely combatants. It mostly served as a reminder of her to him. No matter how much I stressed to him that he would never see her again, he would never look upon other females and refused to forget her."

Rtas paused for a long time and they both sat in silence. Arsen tilted his head in confusion. "But... they did see each other again."

Rtas nodded, "In a most unexpected way, too." The Commander sighed and began to chortle. "The day was May the seventh."

"The Day of _Eromaes_." Arsen mused.

Rtas nodded, "The Lover's Festival, as they so call it. Thel and I were just entering adulthood. He did not wish to go, but I drug him along with me with the hope that he would move on. He did not take to the crowds very well and insisted on leaving. At the darkest hour of the night, the lanterns were lit and dancers cleared the streets for their performance. One single maiden began to sing before the crowds and danced among the others."

"Kalika."

"Thel recognized her almost immediately. I did not realize he was gone until I watched her approach him at the front of the crowd." Rtas chuckled again. "The poor young warrior was absolutely terrified when she began to dance around him."

A light smile tugged at Arsen's cheeks that were so tight from scowling all of the time. He tried to imagine the scene and did not notice his smile.

"She hadn't changed. She was still her old playful self. After her performance, she ran and tackled the man. I had never seen him so happy in a very long time."

'Vadumee paused and scratched at the base of his half jaws. "I do not think that Thel ever realized that he was not the only one in love."

Arsen blinked at Rtas in surprise, but he continued with a heavier tone, "Several years later, Kalika's temple was attacked by nonbelievers; extremely skilled assassins at that to take on the Priestesses. Thel was there to fight by her side. I joined mid-battle even when the odds were not in our favor. We were so sure that we would not make it out alive. So it was there that he proposed to her. It was not the most traditional wedding that I had ever attended. Nonetheless, one of the other Priestesses there permitted it, gave them her blessing, and in the chaos of the battle, they were married."

Rtas placed both hands on his knees, taking another break before he continued. "Neither of their families liked that very much, but even after we made it out alive, they were both so insistent. They were both from well-known and honorable families and eventually there was an agreement. Kalika no longer wished to be a Priestess so that she could be a wife to Thel."

A bright smile warmed Rtas' tone, "Their first daughter's name was Ila. Thel knew that Ila could never know that he was her father, but that couple must have been the happiest pair of Sangheili that I had ever laid eyes on. Ila was the most enjoyable and lovable child. I was not able to see them that much when the war began. Thel and I had to leave often for long periods of time."

His face slowly relaxed and a sorrowful aspect over took him. "The last time I saw little Ila, she was telling me stories of how her mother took her out to see her favorite animal – the Shirath." Rtas' eye ridges furrowed together. "I am... not sure what happened to Ila. All I know is that... one day, Kalika had... changed and Ila was no where to be found."

Arsen lifted his head, but Rtas still stared out into space. "Kalika was a loving and caring mother, and such a dear friend. The next time I met her, all of her words were singed with an acid tone. She never smiled or laughed anymore. She was never as playful or kind. I can only assume that her precious child had died. Perhaps her drastic change of mind was caused by her shock and grief. Although I've never seen her cry or detected any hints of sorrow..."

Rtas turned his head toward Arsen. "Thel nor Kalika will speak of her. I have already tried to ask, but they are both silent. I can only assume things based only on how well I knew them from the past. Shortly after Ila's presumed death, Thel left her for twenty-seven years to go to war and Kalika had no choice but to assume the duty as the Lady of the keep. And now, she discovers recently that her husband is now the Arbiter and nobody can know that she exists."

"They are both very stressed and tired people, as we all are in these trying times. Their relationship is a hard thing to understand. I ask of you to not judge them too quickly."

Arsen scowled. "This does not excuse her for her actions." He said with a heavy sigh.

Rtas shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps nothing ever will."

Arsen tilted his head and motioned with his hand, "If they are so stressed, why take it out on each other?"

"Because they only have each other. It's a dangerous thing to keep so much pent up inside of you. They haven't been able to be with each other for twenty-seven years. Kalika and Thel fight with each other almost constantly to get everything off of their chest. One of the many reasons that they have been together for so long is that they also constantly forgive each other. They may seem..." Rtas had to think of the word. "...unlikely, but there is a love there." Rtas and Arsen stared at each other for a while. "Any other questions?"

Arsen paused and thought for a moment. "...It is customary for Sangheili to have multiple wives and husbands. Why didn't you ever bond with Kalika before she changed?"

Arsen was surprised when Rtas began to laugh. "I was never in love with Kalika."

Arsen blinked in confusion. Sangheili didn't always marry for love. Most of the time, it was decided by the wives and the Ladies of the keeps to select a spouse, or Sangheili married for the power and wealth of the other. "Then... who are you-?"

Oh. The Commander was homosexual. Well, that changed perspectives a bit. Rtas laughed again. They both looked up when the communication device on Rtas' desk beeped softly, followed shortly by Tartarus' voice, "Commander, come by the hanger. Your ships require a report."

"On my way, Chieftain." Rtas said and stood from his chair. Arsen also stood and bowed his head. Rtas returned the bow and said, "I must take my leave. Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Thank you, sir." Arsen said and followed the Commander out of the room. The lights on his desk dimmed and the only light was coming from the distant suns out in space.

"Impressive." Kalika said softly as they entered the Arbiter's quarters. A wall several yards in front of the entrance did not connect with the hall way walls so that one could walk into the room behind it. A sleek black desk with a floating holographic screen in front of it sat before her. To her left was a door to a filter room and to her right was a sleek black storage unit for food. It was accompanied by shiny black counters and triangular vases with variously colored plants. Several areas of the dark purple walls had softly glowing blue inscriptions pulsing calmly across its metallic surfaces.

Kalika stepped down the slim stairs from the entrance. Her armored boots chinked against the hard floor with a slow and steady rhythm. She turned her head to examine the entire front half of the room. She traced the tips of her fingers across the smooth desk and observed the blinking blue screens with a thoughtful gaze. Thel silently entered the room behind her and and watched her take in her surroundings. Kalika suddenly looked up at the vases on the counter. She walked forward and rubbed her thumb along the intricate designs. She turned the vase around and briefly stroke the wide red leaf of the plant. "You are being watched." She said and looked toward the other vases.

Thel nodded. "I know."

Kalika looked at him for a brief moment and then turned toward the opening in the wall beside the desk. She walked through the archway and stepped down small steps into the bedroom. One side of the room had a window that revealed the sparkling mysteries of space and on the other side were sliding doors that most likely led to a closet. In the middle was a wide space with a decorated mat and a bed that curved up against the wall. There were no blankets or sheets; only a covered mattress rested on black wooden supports. Cylinder-shaped pillows were rolled up on the end of the bed.

Kalika stood in the middle of the open space with her tied pack slung over her shoulder. She turned to look at the wall behind her where a single rack stood with two Covenant flags draped on either side upon the walls.

Thel entered on the other side of the room and walked with a heavy, slow stride. He removed his helmet and set it on the uppermost hook of the rack. Kalika placed her bag on the bed as Thel worked on unclasping the difficult metal. A light smile tugged on her cheeks when she looked up at her husband who was struggling with his armor. She walked forward and shook her head, "No, love, you have to take this part off first. You see?"

Thel lowered his arms and allowed his wife to slide her hands under the neck guards. Each heavy piece was connected underneath by a stretchy band and had to be unclasped from the bottom. Thel breathed through his nostrils. "I am not as familiar with these older models and their required order of removal."

Kalika's tone had lightened and become soothing. "Are you not lucky to have a wife who is?" She inquired as she searched for the last clasp at the base of his neck.

Thel snorted and turned his head so that he could see her. "Lucky, indeed."

Kalika looked up at him with a smile that made her seem... happy. It wasn't a smile that she ever presented in public. She looked back to pull away the armor from his neck. She stepped around him and set the straps over the hooks of the rack, then turned and slid one hand under his large shoulder guard. Her fingers prodded and fiddled until there was a satisfactory click and a tug on her other arm. She pulled off each armor piece in silence.

There was so much that he wanted to say... and yet, even with her here, he could not bring himself to say anything at all. He hadn't had the chance to truly speak with her at all for twenty-seven years. It was always such rushed visits because they both had things they needed to do. Here was his chance to tell her everything... but he stood silently as he watched her remove his armor.

"Can you figure out your boots?" She asked as she stood to place the second thigh plate on the rack. Each silver part was set as if there were a ghostly Elite wearing the Arbiter's armor.

Thel blinked. "...Hm?"

Kalika turned and stared at him. "...Your boots?"

"...Oh. Yes." He said and looked down at the silver armor that elegantly curved around his toes and connected to a row of plates that ran up the front of his foot.

"Tired, love?" Kalika asked as she made her way back to the bed.

Thel knelt down on the woven mat and began to pull the plates up to reach the straps. "Slightly." He said with a weak smile.

Kalika untied the strings to her bag and pulled it open. "They returned my clothes." She mused as she looked inside the dark red bag.

Thel frowned without looking up. "Why would they take your clothes away?" He asked as he pulled his toes out of the boots.

Kalika began to pull her clothes from the bag and ran her fingers through them. "After my failed attempt to stop your branding, I was-"

"You were there?" Thel looked up in bewilderment.

Kalika looked over at him with a single quirked eye ridge. "You have obviously not been informed of at all of my presence. Yes, I was arrested after I tried to stop your punishment. They locked me up in a cell and permitted me to wear my clothes while they held on to and inspected my armor. The problem was..." She couldn't help the humorous smile that crept across her face as she lowered one of her robes. "I continued to escape. I had a variety of hidden weapons and gadgets in all of my clothes. They tried searching them, but I always had something else up my sleeve, until they eventually gave up and simply left me nude." Kalika searched through the bag again. "It would seem that they did not return my weapons, however..."

Thel stared at her in horror. "They left you naked in the prison cell?"

Kalika seemed surprised. "Yes."

"Who saw you?"

"...Why does it matter?"

"Who saw you?" Thel repeated in a sterner tone.

Kalika shrugged her shoulders. "Several Jiralhanae, a few Sangheili. Why does this concern you?"

Thel curled his lip. "Any spouse would be concerned when their consort is inappropriately presented before prohibited eyes."

Kalika scoffed and spread her fingers against her chest. "I was not the one 'inappropriately presented' before the entire crowds of High Charity."

Thel placed his boots at the bottom of the rack and stood to give her an unwanted expression, but she smiled and pulled a special something from her bag. "You told me to hold on to it a long time ago." She said and walked up to him. "I told you that I had 'temporarily misplaced' it quite recently, but..." She held up his dark purple _doarmir_ cloak, folded neatly in her arms.

Thel placed a hand on the cloak's fur and stroked his thumb across the old silver clasp. He smiled weakly and pulled his hand away. "Hold onto it for me a while longer." He said.

Kalika nodded and placed it on the bed with the rest of her clothes. She lifted her helmet off of her head and set it beside the cloak. She began to unhook her pale gold armor. Thel approached her and began to carry each part into the closet, setting each piece on shelves in order.

Kalika, now only in her suit, began to pack her clothes again into her bag. She frowned and looked up when she heard the zipper at the back of her suit slowly pull apart. By the time that Thel had reached the bottom of the suit, he had nearly snapped the zipper off. He stared at the dark bruises and burn marks that stretched across every inch of her back. Kalika remained very still as he peeled the suit away from each of her shoulder blades. Thel's mandibles were tightly clamped and his eye ridges were furrowed toward each other in a disapproving fashion. He gently placed four of his finger tips on her right right shoulder blade, making her flinch ever so slightly.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his muzzle against the bare base of her neck and shoulder with a heavy sigh. She, too, closed her eyes and crossed her arms over his. The front of his suit was warm against her back, soothing her aching pains. He nuzzled his snout lovingly against her skin, feeling the steady pulses of her heartbeats as she intertwined her fingers with his. They stayed like that for a very long time. These actions spoke much louder than any words they could offer each other.

Thel breathed softly and, without moving or opening an eye, asked, "What news of Sanghelios?"

Kalika exhaled and opened her eyes, staring blankly at the wall before her. "It is missing one of its most loyal Kaidons. I am afraid that Kaidon will not return the same man as he was before he left."

Thel lifted his muzzle and inquired bemusedly, "Has war had such a dramatic effect on me?"

Kalika still stared at the wall. "For one who has more value over an Oracle than his wife, I would say a dramatic effect indeed."

Thel blinked in surprise. "What are you talking about?" He asked and pulled his head up.

She sighed tiredly. "I am talking about two hours ago when we departed from the Gasmine. You stood before the Jiralhanae Chieftain to defend the Oracle, but when he offended your wife, you walked away."

"I defended you by keeping you out of danger and avoiding the rash decision I knew you would make." Thel replied wearily.

Kalika turned around with an almost sad yet compassionate expression. "Thel, do not misunderstand me. I am not angry or upset. I could care less if you stood off to the side completely. I can take care of myself." She placed her palm over his hearts. "But I want you to see yourself. Would the Thel twenty-seven years ago have acted differently than as the Thel today?" She asked.

Thel flickered his jaws to answer... but he could not lie to himself. He could not lie to her. He stared down at her in silence as she nodded and looked down. "Do you ever think that..." She began as she looked up at him once more. "...perhaps, you go too far for this Great Journey?"

Thel's tone shifted into one of agitation. "You would have me question the Holy Hierarchs? The Great Journey? The Oracles?"

Kalika shrugged her shoulders. "It is a good thing to question and to doubt."

"How can you have such little faith?" He asked in disappointed awe.

Kalika smiled and placed her palms against his cheeks with a chuckle, "My love, you do not know what faith is, then!" Thel still looked at her with confusion and wrapped his hand around her wrist as she spoke. "Having faith is challenging your religion; it is doubting and questioning, and yet still having the strength to believe. That is faith. What you have is not faith. It is obsession! If anyone questions your ways, they must be heretics! It is madness! The Prophets have drilled, not faith, but this mad obsession into your heads for the past twenty-seven years! You have been made blind, Thel!"

Thel shook his head. "I am sorry, Kalika, but I cannot stray from my path. I am not a Kaidon anymore, and no matter how much you may wish it, I cannot be the man I was before I left Sanghelios. For all I know, that man may be dead. I had to change to survive. Please, do not try to make me be some one I cannot be. Not now."

Kalika lowered her hands and stared up at him for a long time. Eventually, she slowly nodded. "I will honor your request for now. We are both weary and we smell of... gods, I do not even know what that is. What say you to a wash, and then I can update you of everything on Sanghelios?"

Thel nodded with a weak smile. "I would be grateful."

Kalika pulled her suit down and slid her arms out of the sleeves. Thel turned to walk back up the stairs as Kalika pulled her gloves off and tossed the suit on a purple padded bench that stretched across the entire length of the window.

The doors to the filter room automatically parted for Thel. There was a tranquil hissing sound of water in the farthest corner of the room. The floors were made of an onyx-colored stone, and the walls were several shades lighter, yet were filled with carved, black inscriptions. In the farthest corner of the room was a traditional Sangheili filter. Clear, sparkling water poured from crevices in the uppermost part of the wall and pooled into a large sunken body in the floor. The pool was exactly level with the floor and rippled around the ends of the waterfalls. Taking up the entire adjacent wall was a mirror that made the room seem bigger than it actually was. Lights at the bottom of the pool made the water seem to glow and lit up the entire room. The air was warm and moist enough to allow colorful plants to grow healthily along a thin dirt path that surrounded the perimeter of the room.

Thel reached a single arm up to find the hidden zipper at the nape of his neck. Kalika found it first and slowly pulled it back across the curve of his neck and down to his tail bone. He pulled his arm out of one side as she helped him with the other. As soon as he stepped out of his suit, he carelessly kicked it toward the opposite corner of the room.

"It would seem that I am not the only one who has had struggles with these past grueling years." Kalika said softly as she looked down at very similar black bruises and purple lacerations across his body.

Thel turned at the very edge of the pool and reached out with his arm as he spoke, "They have been trying for the both of us." He ever so slightly curled his hand around hers and gently tugged her toward him.

The water shimmered as he set down his foot at the bottom of the pool. He winced as the hot water seeped into his wounds. This was only up to his heel. She squeezed his hand as she stepped down with him. Excess water rolled over the edges of the pool, and even more so as they both sunk down painfully into the filter.

They sat facing each other with their legs crossed. Kalika leaned forward and took his hand, gently massaging around his wounds to wash what she could. This style of massage was designed by the earliest Priestesses. It was an ancient art that was created for the purpose of healing the body both physically and spiritually. It was another one of those perks of training with them for nearly thirty years. Its formal name was _Pria_.

"Tell me of home." Thel said as he stared down at their hands.

Kalika sighed softly as she pressed her thumbs along the lines of his palm. "Where to begin...?" She paused as she though. "Ah yes. Do you remember Nara?"

Thel was silent as he tried to recall the name. "She is one of the elder's wives in our keep."

Kalika nodded. "She has been trying to replace me for the past twenty years."

Thel tilted his head. "Replace the Lady of the keep? With whom?"

"Herself. I do not think that she quite understands the responsibility of the job." Thel nodded in understanding. She smirked. "She does now."

He blinked. "You allowed Nara to take her place?"

"Do not worry too much. She is cut out for the job. She is an excellent warrior, a fair teacher, and has children of her own. Her lack of patience may be a problem; having to care for our own, and deal with the paper work, the demands of the elders, the farms, the hunting, the training, the herds..." Kalika's expression darkened. "If she touches my construction plans..."

"You will figure something out." Thel said reassuringly. "What of the children?" He asked with much more interest.

A bright smile lit up Kalika's face as her hands worked up his forearm. "Valina is two years old now. She has not quite figured out how to work those new mandibles of hers, so she 'twaks wike dis.'"

Thel laughed at Kalika's impersonation of their youngest daughter. Kalika chuckled with him. "She is so kind and sweet. I do not know where she gets it from." She sighed as she continued. "Crea inherited her stubbornness and way of thinking from her mother, but like all of her siblings, she has the hide of her father."

Thel looked up at her with an expression of worry. "They all look like me?"

Kalika lowered his arm with a sigh. (**20**) "Most of them have your bronze color. Others vary with my parents' black and brown hides. Thesa appears to be the only one who inherited your mother's redder skin."

"None of them look like you?" Thel asked as she began to knead her thumb across his palm.

She shook her head. "They all look like you. Crea could be the closest to looking like me. She has my freckles, but even they have your gold color."

Thel exhaled tiredly. "This is going to be an interesting return home."

Kalika did not look away from his arm. "...If we make it home."

Thel stared at her hard. He lifted his other hand and gently took hold of her wrist, making her stop and look up into his eyes. "I will ensure that you make it home, Kalika." He spoke with such a reassuring and soothing tone that she believed him, and she smiled a bright, hopeful smile. Thel snorted in amusement, "Who is without faith now?"

She arched one of her eye ridges as the other fell to express her need to challenge and question that statement. "I never said-"

He silenced her by lifting his other arm and pressing his two index fingers against the front of her muzzle. Her expression relaxed as he leaned forward, again speaking in that deep, coaxing tone. "It is much easier to enjoy the peace while we still have it. Not every minute has to be filled with a word, and not everything has to be a fight."

She did not move nor speak as he removed his two fingers from her snout. He rested both of his hands on top of her biceps, and she crossed her forearms on top of his. They both placed their muzzles against each others', and relaxed. They closed their eyes and each flared their nostrils with a deep, long breath as they listened to the soft churning of the water from the fountains beside them.

Thel awoke feeling quite... at ease for the first time in a long time. The bed was soft and the sheets were comforting beneath him. His cheek was sinking into a warm, rounded pillow. He breathed out heavily and lifted his arm to the other side of the bed where...

Kalika was not there. His eyes flickered open to observe the bare, wrinkled sheets beside him. Was it all... just a dream? Was it a figment of his imagination that his wife had accompanied him on an entire mission? He pressed his palm into the sheets. No. They were warm. He drowsily lifted his head and called her name.

"Kalika?"

He waited for several moments. No answer. Surely, she was not idiotic enough to wander the city by herself. Then again, she had been known to do some pretty unbelievable things before. "Kalika!" He called louder.

Still no answer. Her bag was still sitting on the bench beside the window. Stars streaked past rapidly. High Charity was warping to another system. Thel sat up and looked over at the open closet and its bare shelves.

He cursed loudly and flung himself off of the bed. He hurried up the stairs and up to the door. It pulsed brightly and parted with a hiss to let him through. He walked out in the middle of the tall hall and looked both ways. All he could see were long windows that revealed the swirling masses of stars spiraling past and two minors in full battle armor patrolling. The two Sangheili saw him and stopped with a curious tilt of their heads. They both looked at each other for a brief moment and then back at him. One of them spoke, looking him up and down, "Is... everything alright, Arbiter?"

Thel blinked in confusion at their reactions to his presence. He looked down at himself... and had the sudden urge to smack his palm against his muzzle. Of course, he did not. It was not necessarily an entirely embarrassing situation to walk around nude on Sangheilos. He had done it only once and for a brief moment. (**21**) It was best that members of his own race had seen him rather than an Unggoy or a Jiralhanae. He could walk around the city naked if he really wanted to; no one would stop him, although it was not very favorable.

Thel looked back up at the minors. "Yes. Carry on." He turned and re-entered his room. As soon as the door closed behind him, he made a sort of groaning sound. He much rather preferred to hunt down his wife fully clothed.

After pulling on his suit and equipping himself with the Arbiter's armor, his sword, and his plasma rifle, he set out again. He could not ask information of others. Her presence was meant to be kept secret. What in the name of the gods was she thinking? He flared his nostrils, trying to catch a whiff of her scent.

And so the great warrior, now thankfully clothed, went off on a different kind of adventure.

Arsen walked slowly down one of the hallways on the outermost side of High Charity. The windows here were the tallest and provided quite a breathtaking view of space. The wall on the opposite side of him shimmered and glistened many different colors with the light reflecting off of the many multicolored planets, comets, and stars that raced past. The engines rumbled far below him, and his boots fell lightly on the metal floor.

He had reports to finish, data from his recordings to deliver, and files to organize, no doubt. But, for now, he was taking a moment to reflect on his thoughts. He needed to get away from it all for a while.

He found the need to stop and look out the window. Somewhere, far away, Sanghelios awaited his return.

No. A special someone awaited his return.

It had been a while since he had thought about his own wife until Kalika arrived. Lai'ya was not as cruel or obnoxious as Kalika, but they both had that same fiery spirit. Lai'ya was strict with their children, had gracious respect for the elders, and was overall kind and respectful to all. She was a gentle and caring person, and had the ability to calm him down when he was upset.

He reached for his neck with both hands and unclasped the pendant that his behind his chest plate. He pressed the flat, circular heirloom into his palm and stroked his thumb across the golden symbol on its red metal surface. It was his family's symbol; it had two large circles on the outside, a smaller circle in the middle with a single line rising from its top and other rounded lines perpendicular to it curving and surrounding the middle circle. Dots ran in between the curved lines and the two outer circles. Their mark represented Sanghelios' two suns; the hope and the light to lead the Great Journey.

Lai'ya threw this pendant to him twenty seven years ago right before the doors closed to his drop ship when he departed from Sanghelios. They did not say the goodbyes that they really wanted to say. Arsen wished now that he had told her all of the things that he was grateful to her for. That he was fighting as hard as he could to return to her; alive and well.

He started to walk again, still stroking the cold metal. He could not say that he was envious of the Arbiter. Kalika was not exactly the most happiest or most comforting wife to come home to. He was, for whatever reason, reminded of what he did not have. Kalika was nothing like Lai'ya, but...

Speaking of Kalika.

He looked up and saw her standing in full armor, gazing quietly out the window with her hands held behind her back. She did not look at him or seem to notice him as he approached. He stopped beside her and cleared his throat to make his presence known.

She still did not look away from the window. "Can I help you?"

Arsen exhaled softly. If there was one thing that Lai'ya had taught him, it was patience. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday. We were all under a lot of stress and my attitude toward you was inexcusable." Perhaps if he showed her kindness, she would learn to soften up a bit.

"Apology accepted." She said coldly and still refused to look at him.

Arsen clenched his mandibles in a frown. Her behavior was far more inexcusable than his. Was she really too proud to apologize in return?

"What is that in your hand?" She asked.

Arsen was silent for a moment. "My wife gave it to me to remind me of her."

Kalika tilted her head slightly and said as if she were ridiculing him, "How sweet."

Arsen stood silently, staring at her with a dark and concentrated expression. Every time he was around her, he always felt so impatient and angry. Every word out of her mouth made him want to throw something across the room. But, he was determined to remain calm.

"Should you not be filing reports right now, Lieutenant?" She asked acidly.

He exhaled heavily. "What happened to Ila, Kalika?"

Her entire body stiffened and her hands clenched into fists. It was a nice change; she being the one to be thrown off guard this time. She looked at him with widened eyes. "Excuse me?"

"What happened to Ila?" He repeated in the same calm tone.

Her expression warped into one of absolute fury. Her voice rose and she stepped forward, jabbing a finger into his chest, "How do you know her name? Who told you?"

Arsen stared in surprise at how fast her mood had shifted. Her pupils were narrowed dangerously and her muzzle was wrinkled upward. Her lips were curled, baring her teeth. "How much do you know?" She jabbed him again with a harsh growl.

"Would Ila want you to behave like this in her memory?" Arsen asked gently.

"Do NOT speak her name!" Kalika roared.

"Do you not care enough for her to honor her memory?"

Kalika seemed almost like she was possessed by an evil spirit. "ILA WAS EVERYTHING TO ME!" She screamed.

"Then why do you dishonor her?" Arsen pressed on. This reaction was a bit frightening, but if this was what needed to be done to knock some sense into this woman, then let it be done. "There is a much softer and kinder person to you."

"That Kalika died... a very long time ago." She choked. Were her eyes... watering?

"No she did not. I have seen it. When Ral died, you-"

"Leave, Arsen!" Kalika hissed.

He shook his head. "Not until you tell me what-"

"LEAVE!"

When Arsen did not move, Kalika turned to walk away. He reached forward and grabbed her wrist harshly.

Thel rounded the corner at that moment. Kalika spun around and tore her wrist away, "Do not touch me!"

A growl rumbled deep within Thel's chest as he advanced upon them. Kalika walked up to him, and he glowered at Arsen. "What is going on?"

Kalika stood behind him and curled her lip. "I was standing before the window when this soldier came around the corner and attacked me."

Arsen's mandibles flared in disbelief at this lie. He looked up at the Arbiter, who frowned disapprovingly at him. "Arbiter, I would never!"

Thel made a huffing sound in his chest. "Stay away, Arsen. This is your only warning."

Arsen clenched his mandibles, but bowed his head. "Yes, Arbiter. I will return to my quarters now." He coolly lifted his head and did not show anger at Kalika's smirk over Thel's shoulder.

Thel and Kalika walked away side by side as Arsen walked in the opposite direction. As soon as he was far enough away and out of sight, he spun around and punched the wall as hard as he could. Damn that woman! She was impossible. He gave up. He uncurled his fist. His stomach clenched when he saw the pendant was still in his hand. A dark crack zig zagged sown the middle of the symbol. He breathed heavily. "I am sorry, Lai'ya."

"Was that necessary?" Thel asked.

Kalika walked ahead with a hurried pace. "Was what necessary?"

Thel sighed. "I know Arsen did not attack you. I am not dimwitted."

She inhaled deeply. "...Yes. It was necessary." She said stiffly.

Thel stopped walking. "Why?"

Kalika eventually stopped and paused without looking behind herself. She seemed... vulnerable. Weary. Defeated, for once. She wiped her face with her fingers, sighed, and turned. "No one can know the truth, Thel. If the only way to keep that truth hidden is for others to hate me, so be it."

"It must also remain hidden from me?" He asked.

She nodded.

Thel flared his nostrils and walked past her. "I suppose I will just have to trust you."

Kalika silently followed him and lowered her shoulders, lifted her head, and a different kind of aura pulsed from her body as other Sangheili entered the hall ahead of her. Thel lifted his fingers to the base of his neck. "I am here." They both halted and Thel looked questionably over at Kalika. "Yes." He said. Kalika tilted her head curiously at him. "I shall inform her now."

Thel removed his fingers from his neck. "The Prophet of Truth would like a word with you."

"What does bloaty-head want now?" Kalika asked as she crossed her arms. Thel quirked an eye ridge at her nickname for the Holy Prophet of Truth. "I do not know. I suggest you report to him as soon as possible. I will escort you."

Kalika regained herself with a smirk. "I thought you just said that you trusted me."

They both strode at a fair pace beside each other. "It is not that I do not trust you. I do not trust the soldiers." He wrinkled his muzzle at this statement.

Kalika's eyes widened at this as Thel lead her through the forks and crossroads of High Charity's halls. "Even after what just happened?"

He snorted softly. "I know you."

"And that is supposed to explain everything?" She asked amusedly.

"Precisely."

"Hm."

After traveling through winding corridors and up elevators, Thel halted before a large, ornate door. He turned with a weighted breath. "Please..." He pleaded. "Do not do or say anything ludicrous."

Kalika gave him a mock expression of hurt. "Ludicrous? Me?" The doors parted for her to enter. "Impossible." She smiled and entered the dark room with a confident stride. Thel watched her until the doors closed in front of him.

Rooms on Covenant ships and cities were normally dark. This made it easier on the Sangheili's nocturnal eyes. But this room was much darker than necessary. The lights were awfully dim and no one was in the room. Kalika recognized this to be an observatory deck.

She cautiously walked forward, looking behind herself, up at the ceiling, and around the room. The entire front side of the room was taken up by wide windows. There was no furniture except for a lone vent that blew in cool air.

Kalika turned around. "Thel, you have given me the wrong room." She walked up to the door, but it did not open for her. The lights on its surface flickered red. She could feel the air in the room shift and change. She was not alone.

Just as she whirled around, an invisible force flung her up against the door. She bared her teeth and roared as a Sangheili in black armor appeared before her with one hand curled in a fist against her stomach, and the other hand rising behind him. An energy sword sparked and thrust toward her throat. She more of fell rather than ducked, gasping for breath as she threw a volley of punches into his belly. His knee jerked up and slammed into her muzzle, flinging her once more into the door with a grunt. Her helmet clanged and the feathers sparked. She was grabbed by the throat and lifted up by one arm as the Elite pried his energy sword out of the door. He growled and twisted his torso back for another swing, but this time she was ready. She grabbed his arm with both hands and swung her legs up on the inside of his arm. Her thighs clenched on either side of his head, her hips twisted, and they were both sent rolling onto the floor. Kalika came out on top and dug her knee into his ribcage as the other leg stretched out and her two toes clenched on the energy sword handle that he had dropped in the fall. She reached down, grabbed the blade, and drove her knee again into his chest. He roared, but when he tried to sit up, his own sword was pointed at his throat.

"Do not... move." She said in a low, silky tone. The Sangheili glared at her as she unarmed his plasma rifle from his thigh.

"Most impressive, 'Vadamai." Some one across the room said. Kalika spun on her knee, making the Sangheili cringe in pain as she aimed her weapon at the Prophet of Truth's head. He rose his hand. "Stand down."

She hesitated, but eventually rose off of the Elite and dropped both of the weapons to the metal floor with a clang. The Sangheili rose, took his weapons, and backed up against the side of the door. The Prophet of Truth nodded to him, and he bowed his head and left the room. Truth waited for the doors to close.

Then he rose his head upon his knuckles. "I did not think that you would be able to pull this mission off. I underestimated you." He said coolly.

She ignored his statement. "What was the purpose of the assassin?"

Truth gave a careless wave of his hand. "I was generous to him. I required someone to test you. He was with the heretics, and so I told him that if he succeeded in killing you, he would be forgiven."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "He would be forgiven?"

Truth nodded. "He will be punished like all of the others."

Kalika arched one of her eye ridges. "Punished?"

"Death." Truth put quite simply.

She nodded. The Prophet tilted his head at her. "Does this bother you?"

"Was it supposed to?"

Truth turned his chair toward the window. "Not necessarily. Why should it not bother you?"

She snorted, "Why worry about something that I can do nothing about?"

The Prophet smiled at this. "You and I are very much alike."

Kalika rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "How so?"

"We both have out eyes set on a much more important goal. We are so dedicated to the gods' ways that we rid of any who stand in our way, and we have no time to regret or reconsider the past. We must move forward for the sake of the Journey... whether others must be left behind, or not."

"The blind may question our ways. We may be disliked, but it is for the sake to save us all for a much grander and glorious victory." The Prophet of Truth motioned his hands toward the swirling mass of space outside the window. "Salvation awaits us all."

He turned his chair around toward her. "It is-" He stopped and frowned at her. Her head was bowed, her eyes were closed, arms across still, and she breathed slowly. "...Vadamai." Truth said sternly.

Kalika flinched and opened her eyes. "Yes?"

"Were you asleep while I was talking?"

She blinked in disbelief. "I would never."

"I should hope not." Truth said with a lazy blink of his eyes. "Did you follow my instructions?"

She nodded her head. "Thel may be beginning to doubt. It will take a lot of influence to steer him away from his path. He is very loyal to the Covenant." She rose an arm and flicked her hand at the air. "I think you still need to test him."

Truth stared at her for a very long time. "I cannot say that I have met many Sangheili wives, but I do not think that they would be so willing to work against their own loving husbands. Can you be trusted?" He asked quietly.

She shrugged her shoulders. "That is your choice. Whether you benefit or suffer from trusting me is your fault entirely."

Truth thought about this and eventually smiled. "I see." He turned his chair around once more. "We have an opportune moment to test your husband. We have been interrogating the Oracle since yesterday, and it has provided us with information. An index key resides in the Delta Halo system that can begin our Great Journey. We will arrive in the system within a matter of days. You will accompany Thel 'Vadamee once more to the Delta Halo ring. You will have to lower the Shield Wall to enter a Forerunner Library, where you will find the index. Your main goal is to keep an eye on 'Vadamee. Ensure that he is loyal to us for as long as possible. Can you do this?" There was a long moment of silence. Truth turned to Kalika with an expectant quirk of an eyebrow and wrinkle in his forehead.

"What makes you so certain that he will not remain loyal to you?" She asked.

Truth rotated his wrists as he spoke, "I cannot be certain. I can only prepare for what may be. It has come to my attention that the Sangheili's faith, in particular, is being shaken. Who is to say that their leader does not see the same things?"

Kalika tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Truth looked again toward the stars. "Thel 'Vadamee is a great leader. He has proven himself countless times in this war, as a Supreme Commander, and now as the Arbiter. Any great leader has an open mind to the dark side of any war. It is not likely, but it is possible, for him to... pursue that darker side. Especially being under certain..." He glanced back at Kalika. "...influences. You know how these mind games work, 'Vadamai."

Kalika squinted her eyes. "Indeed. So, perhaps now I should ask you; why trust me? I am Sangheili, not to mention, Thel's wife. No one knows I exist, save a selected few. I could disappear if I wanted to. Leave all of this behind."

Truth nodded his head. "Yes... you are those things, and you most certainly could." He motioned his hand toward her. "And yet, you are still here. The question is... why?"

Kalika stared at him for a very long time before smiling softly. "I suppose we will have to find out."

Thel turned his head as the doors before him opened and Kalika walked out. As soon as the doors closed, her expression shifted into one of irritation. He walked up beside her. "Is everything alright?" He asked as they made their way back to the elevator. The energy swords coming through doors and consistent banging did not go unnoticed.

"He is completely out of his mind." She growled. Two translucent curved doors rotated back to allow them both on the elevator. As they boarded, Kalika continued. "He thinks he has this mind game all figured out."

"And you do?" Thel mused as she pressed one of the buttons on the glowing blue hologram.

"Of course not." She said, observing the translucent wall as the elevator descended. "You can never truly figure out a mind game. That is the point of it all."

"Then how do you win?" Thel asked, deciding to go along with her.

Kalika sighed. "The only way to win a mind game is not to play at all. Truth does not know that."

"But you are still playing."

Kalika looked up at him. "Well, you have to know _when_ to win." She said as the elevator slowed to a stop. The doors curved back with a hiss. "Besides..." Kalika said with a smile as they exited. "...This game is just getting started."

**Author's Notes**

20) It is a Sangheili custom for their children not to know who their father is. This prevents the children from being favored according to their father's status.

21) When Thel first became Kaidon, three assassins were sent to kill him. Thel defeated them all, but bluffed to the elders that he had left one alive, and undressed himself before them to show that he had not been harmed. Thel told the elders that the assassin had informed him who had sent the assassins, making the one guilty elder, Koida, seem uncomfortable. Thel killed him and ordered his line to leave by sunrise or meet the same fate.


	9. Log 08

CONSORT

_of the_

HERETIC

Created By Cyber and Zmori

Written by Zmori

Edited by ShoopWoop17

/Access Data Logs

2 November, Year 2552

Covenant Holy City, High Charity

Sanctum of the Hierarchs

5:36 Hours

CONNECTING...

LOG 08

"You summoned me?" Kalika called as she emerged into the shadows of the Sanctum of the Hierarchs. There was a heavy metal plating covering the tall windows, making the room very dark. There was only one source of light coming from the western side of the room. It was the light of a bright blue holographic screen taking up the entire wall, casting its rays, gently glowing on the metal floor. The silhouettes of two gravity thrones cast tall black shadows on the ground.

She recognized the silky voice of the Prophet of Truth echo first, "We thought you would like to see this. Come forth, Lady 'Vadamai."

Kalika arched an eye-ridge at the sound of her formal title, and first looked around the room cautiously for any warnings of another ambush. Eventually, she slowly walked forward and stood in between the two Prophets. They levitated their chairs back on either sides of the screen as if they had rehearsed this before her arrival.

The screen blinked for a moment. In the corner, she read:

"21 October, Year 2552

Covenant Holy City, High Charity

10:36 Hours

Accessing Recording From Database..."

"You place your top secret recordings on a database?"

Mercy's voice rattled forth, "It allows those who are curious to easily... happen upon them."

The screen blinked, and once more, Kalika watched Thel 'Vadamee walk the pier in his golden armor, dignifying his previous rank as Supreme Commander. She had seen this before. He walked up to the edge. Again, she heard his words, "If they came to hear me beg... they will be disappointed."

"Are you sure?"

The pillars beside him glowed and thrummed with power. The arcs of plasma, warm with the orange color of Sanghelios' suns, lashed across Thel's arms hungrily as he let forth an outcry. The screen flickered white for a moment, and then the Brutes were removing his armor. Tartarus hefted the Mark of Shame brand up onto his thick arms and rammed it into Thel's chest. Kalika watched without blinking or moving as Thel's body was wracked with burning pain and his expression became wrought with suffering.

The screen turned blue again.

"21 October, Year 2552

Covenant Drop Ship Flying Over Mining Facility

15:50 Hours

Accessing Recording From Database..."

There was a brief, yet exhilarating view of a Phantom flying past the debris of the destroyed Halo, Installation 04.

"When we joined the Covenant, we took an oath!"

Kalika understood what was going on. She watched as the camera angle shifted each time to ensure that she was not seen. Every part relating to Kalika was muted, cut out, and deleted while the rest of the Elites stood there proudly, looking awesome.

"I do not need to see this." Kalika said softly. At one point during Rtas' speech, the camera followed his back, hiding Kalika in front of him.

"And continue our march for Glorious Salvation!" Rtas said.

The screen froze with Rtas' face still on screen; his green eyes narrowed, his silver armor brightly lit, and his two stumps of torn pink flesh where mandibles should have been were spread in mid-sentence.

"What is the purpose of showing this to me?" Kalika asked.

"To discourage any further attempts to call for help."

Now, this confused her. "...What do you mean?"

Suddenly, on the other side of the room, a piston hissed and glowed on the floor. All three turned toward the cylindrical column slowly rising from the floor. Kalika followed the Prophets to the side of the column as Truth spoke, "No one can track you, and there is no possibility for you to be found on High Charity's histories. They have all been destroyed."

She snorted, "I was led to believe that you required the Council's approval before destroying data."

Truth ignored her. "I did not think that you were one who called for the aide of others. Again, I have misjudged you. I would also have been led to believe that you would use a more common signal. I did not consider the use of a radio signal, or much less..."

The column reached the top of the ceiling, and in the middle of it, levitating above a risen platform, was the monitor of Installation 04, 343 Guilty Spark. "...an Oracle."

Kalika tilted her head at the monitor. It was rolled over, as if it had been neutralized, yet it still lit up the room with its pulsing blue light. "I did not call for help." She said instead of the question of the Oracle's state.

"Oracle." Truth said. "Relay your last encounter with Kalika 'Vadamai."

A slanted cylinder slowly rotated beside the column beside them until its base was directly over the monitor. There was a moments pause as the AI of the ship connected to the Oracle, and the speakers came to life with Guilty Spark's humming. There was another pause.

Kalika heard her own voice, "Code name."

Guilty Spark replied, "Preparing data log. Code name required for access."

"Adversity."

One of the Prophets must have been pressing buttons on their chair, because the recording stopped automatically. The Prophet of Truth turned to Kalika with his fingers folded under his bristly chin. "What is code name Adversity? What is X5?" He leaned forward ever more slightly. "Who are you contacting?"

She shook her head. "That is not me. I am not contacting anyone. The monitor could have generated that recording easily, or your Oracle made a mistake."

Truth's lips scrunched up, causing his skin to wrinkle across his muzzle as he spoke in a very loathsome tone, "Do you honestly think that we would believe these childish lies? We have evidence of your collaboration with the Oracle on camera, and placing a radio device elsewhere on the Gas Mine. Speaking of which, that radio signal will not reach Sanghelios for at least fifty years. And with the destruction of the mining facility, it cannot be traced."

A knowing smile crept across Kalika's cheeks. "Did you not say, Prophet, that there was no evidence of my existence? It was destroyed... was it not?"

Truth suddenly became very silent and he stared at her with an expression of slight surprise and agitation. Mercy clenched his palms on his chair behind her as she turned to Truth.

"With... respect, _Holy_ _Prophets_, there _is_ evidence of my existence somewhere on this ship. And somewhere, at some time, the truth will be uncovered by those who seek it."

The white Prophet hovered his chair around Kalika and sat beside Truth. "How dare you speak to the Holy Prophets of the Covenant with such rancid tone?!"

She curled her lip at the Prophet of Mercy. "You may have fancier hats and chairs, Prophets, but we are all equal in this trial of war. If I truly wished for escape, I would have done so long ago."

Truth regained his composure. "Ah, yes. And why do you continue to aide us? Why do you not escape now? There must be something here you truly care about, here, if you are so insistent to stay. Perhaps it is for the very same reason that you left Sanghelios and came to High Charity in the first place."

It was Kalika's turn to be silent. She gave him no expression except for the icy cold glare from her narrowed eyes as Truth continued, "You can not leave without your dear husband, can you? You are bound to him. Perhaps you are not so unpredictable and heartless as you try so desperately to make everyone believe you are. Perhaps... if we were to free you?"

Her pupils narrowed into slits dangerously. "You would not kill the Arbiter."

"The Arbiter only has so many uses left. We easily killed of the Prophet of Regret, who carried your precious evidence. Why not the Arbiter?"

She blinked in surprise. "That is why you pulled 'Vadumee's forces back and allowed Regret to be killed? To destroy my evidence? Because of me?"

Mercy spoke now, "He had found a great prize, and he was not needed anymore. We can throw the Arbiter away just as easily. The Great Journey waits for no one."

"Not even you. Do not forget your place, 'Vadamai." Truth said softly.

The metal plating on the windows clicked softly, and with a low rumble, they slowly began to pull up. Light streamed in from the stars of space, and the room was lit up with soft white lights on the curved ceiling. The screen on the western wall flickered off, accompanied by a soft beep. When the metal plating pulled up all the way, Kalika found herself staring at a breathtaking view of the Delta Halo. Regret's prize. Its surface was blotted with swirling white clouds, and bodies of water hid beneath them. Mountains and plains spread across the silver metal of the ring. The Halo was slanted away from the window so that they could only see the metal bottom. Blue markings were engraved into the silver surface; artwork of the Forerunners.

"You wish for me to accompany the Arbiter again. What is our objective?"

"You shall learn in the coming time." Mercy said as the doors parted behind them. Kalika turned and looked up at Rtas 'Vadumee. Arsen, along with another of Rtas' lieutenants, followed behind him.

Truth motioned Kalika away toward the left of the room. She acknowledged and made her way toward the west wall as Rtas and his men stood before the Prophets and the majestic view of the Halo ring.

"Thank you for arriving so early, Commander." Truth said to him as he bowed his head in salutation. "We have many things to discuss."

"What is your will, Holy One?" 'Vadumee asked.

"You will no longer be accompanying the Arbiter. 'Vadamai will take your place instead."

All three of the Elites looked over at her where she was absentmindedly picking at her gloves. Rtas slowly turned his head toward Truth. "Are you sure that this is... a wise decision?"

"We have put much thought into this, Commander. You and your Elites are to be put to much better use. While the Arbiter and his Lady scout the Library for the Sacred Icon, you and your Elites will take positions elsewhere around the Library to hold off the Flood forces."

Rtas snorted, "The Flood is here as well?"

Mercy nodded, "Yes. They seek to halt our Great Journey. Without the Sacred Icon, we cannot begin the Journey. This is why we require you to hold the Flood off as the Arbiter and his consort seek the Icon."

"...Alone?" Rtas asked with a quizzical arch of his eye-ridge.

Truth tilted his head. "Is there an issue with this?"

Kalika clenched her jaws tightly together to repress her laughter.

"No, Hierarch."

"Very well." Truth pressed a small blue button on the arm of his chair. "I have one last thing to inform you of."

The doors at the back of the circular room parted with a combination of hisses. All eyes turned to the two tall Jiralhanae walking forth with their heavily armored boots slamming down into the ground. They wore the Honor Guards' glowing black and orange armor and their bright red flags on their shoulders. Their helmets bore two orange wings arcing up from their heads like horns, and their pole arms flashed with their three spokes pointed toward the ceiling.

"What is this?" Rtas asked with a disbelieving, wide-eyed glare.

Kalika seemed more amused than surprised, "You recommissioned the guard?"

Truth lifted his chin as the Special Operations Commander turned to look at him once again. "This is unprecedented. Unacceptable."

Kalika turned her head as the doors parted once more to make way for the Arbiter.

"A hierarch is dead, Commander." Truth replied coolly.

"His murderer was within our grasp! If you had not withdrawn our Phantoms-"

"Are you questioning my decision?" Truth asked in a dangerous tone with a slight crane of his neck.

Rtas shook his head and spread his palm slightly, "No, Holy One! I only wish to express my concern that the Brutes-"

Again, Truth cut him off and lifted his hand. "Recommissioning the guard was a radical step." He motioned with a wave of his hand and a lazy blink of his grey eyes. "But recent events have made it abundantly clear that the Elites can no longer guarantee our safety." He shook his head side to side.

Rtas flared his nostrils, but bowed his head in submission. "I shall relay your... _decision_... to the Council."

The black armored Elites followed their Commander toward the back of the room. The Arbiter watched them, and as they passed, Rtas gave a respectful nod to him. Thel returned it, and to his left, Kalika bowed her head to him as well. His eyes met hers for a brief moment.

She motioned her muzzle toward the Prophet of Truth as he sighed tiredly. The Arbiter looked up at the holy hierarch and walked forth before him. "Politics." Truth said wearily. "How tiresome." The San'Shyuum's milky grey eyes met the Arbiter's gold. "Do you know, Arbiter, the Elites have threatened to resign? _To quit the High Council?_" He said this last sentence with a tone of disbelief. He gave a loll of his wrists to accompany his next statement mockingly, "Because of this... _exchange of hats_?"

Thel respectfully but pointedly said, "_We_ have always been your protectors."

"These are trying times for all of us."

Mercy's head swayed with his heavy crown. "Even as the human's annihilation filled us with satisfaction, the loss of one of the Sacred Rings wracked our hearts with grief!"

Truth put his hand up, "Putting aside our sorrow, we renewed our faith in the Prophecy that other rings would be found." He pulled his chair back to allow a better view of the beautiful Halo ring. "And see how our faith has been rewarded!"

Mercy rose both of his arms as Thel took in the view. "Halo... Its divine wind will rush through the stars, propelling all who are worthy along the path to Salvation!"

Truth stroked at the brown prickly spines on his chin. "But how to start this process?"

Mercy and Truth's chairs levitated over to the pillar, where the Oracle still floated and pulsed its bright blue lights, as if it had a heart beating a living pulse. The Arbiter followed them to the center of the room as Truth continued. "For ages, we searched for one who might unlock the secrets of the rings – an Oracle. And with your help, we found it."

The elderly white San 'Shyuum revolved his chair around the pillar. "With appropriate humility, we plied the Oracle with questions and it, with clarity and grace, has shown us the key!"

Kalika scoffed softly at this.

"You will journey to the surface of the ring and retrieve this Sacred Icon." Truth said. "With it, we shall fulfill our promise."

Mercy let up a joyous outcry, "Salvation for all!"

Truth joined him, "And begin the Great Journey!"

The Arbiter was silent for a moment. He looked up at the Oracle as Kalika approached his side. "I am to accompany you to the Library." She said softly.

Thel looked down at her and asked with a slightly surprised tone, "Why?"

Kalika's eyes narrowed mockingly. "_It is the will of the Prophets_."

He turned his questionable gaze toward the Hierarchs. Truth nodded, "She will accompany you to the Library. 'Vadumee's forces will fight to clear as much of a path as they can through the Flood."

Mercy waved his hand, "Go now, Arbiter. The ships will leave within the coming hour. 'Vadumee will follow."

The Arbiter bowed his head, his silver helmet glinting in the blue light of the Oracle's eye. "I shall see it done, Hierarchs."

Kalika followed Thel out of the room, casting one last glance back at the Prophet of Truth who stared calmly back at her.

As the ornament doors closed behind her with a low booming sound, she quickened her pace to walk along side him. Jiralhanae eyed them in a disapproving fashion as they walked past.

"This new change of ranks is... unsettling." Thel admitted quietly, gazing at the dim shadows cast by the large floating pillars along either side of them.

"This entire situation is unsettling." Kalika replied in the same hushed tone, keeping her eyes forward and her chins high. Jiralhanae snorted and snarled at each other impatiently, their black eyes observing them without the mind of proper judgment.

After a long silent walk through the corridors of High Charity, they entered one of its many large hangars.

Two rows of six total Phantoms sat evenly adjacent from each other, casting shadows in almost every direction. The lights were not very bright, but this was no challenge for the reptilian races of the Covenant. Kalika looked up to observe the high ceiling as Thel gazed upon the many Sangheili, Unggoy, and Kig-Yar running about. Thel put his arm out in front of Kalika to stop her. She looked back down, only to look back up at the two Mgalekgolo thundering past, side by side in front of them.

"There you are, brother." A voice called from beneath a Phantom. The Arbiter bowed his head as he approached Rtas. Kalika kept her distance as the two old friends conversed. Arsen walked in and out of the Phantom, giving orders and preparing the ships for flying into battle.

"YOU!" A growling voice yelled somewhere behind her. She turned in confusion with an irritated expression, but all of a sudden, some one grabbed her and slammed her down hard into the ground. Her world went spinning for a moment and she suddenly forgot how to breathe. A Sangheili pinned her down with both of his strong hands groping at her throat.

Thel spun around. Rtas and he both looked over in surprise as Kalika slowly regained her senses. Thel was the first to respond. He curled his lip and let forth a thunderous growl of warning before charging forward. He grabbed the male harshly by the scruff on the nape of his neck. The Arbiter was so filled with rage that he threw the Sangheili all the way to the door that he had recently walked through.

Thel stood over Kalika as the Sangheili shook his head and rose to his feet.

"An Honor Guard?" Rtas asked in disbelief, standing by Thel's side. Indeed, the Elite still wore the black and orange armor of the Honor Guard, but his helmet was missing.

Kalika shoved past both of them and charged at the Honor Guard.

"KALIKA!" Thel roared and reached to grab her, but of course, she was much too fast. Rtas and Thel both ran forward to follow her.

The Honor Guard roared and flashed his teeth, receiving many alarmed looks from around the hangar. Yanme'e chattered excitedly above them. As Kalika drew closer, he threw the first punch. She immediately ducked and lashed out with a vicious volley of punches to his stomach. He came forward with his other arm and grabbed the feathers on her helmet. Before he could yank back, the Arbiter grabbed her around the waist and pulled her away. Her helmet came off and clattered to the ground. The Honor Guard lashed out with an uppercut before he, too, was grabbed and pulled back by Arsen and his men. Kalika's head was kicked back by the nasty blow, and she roared as pain engulfed her cheek and the front of her mandibles.

"You bring nothing but dishonor to the Sangheili, Kalika 'Vadamai!" The Honor Guard shouted as Rtas, Arsen, and a third Sangheili in black armor struggled to hold him back.

"Stand down!" Rtas commanded.

"Release me, Thel!" Kalika hissed as she squirmed against his iron grasp. He had one arm wrapped across her chest and biceps with his hand cupping the side of her face. The other arm trapped her stomach and forearms, gripping her hip harshly to prevent movement.

"If you had not come, the Elites would still be the Honor Guard of the Covenant!" The Sangheili warrior continued.

"Silence!" Rtas roared.

"If you had not come, my brothers would still be alive!"

"Come then, Sor 'Rolamee!" Kalika shouted, kicking her legs violently. "Come take back your brothers' blood! (**22**)"

Sor bellowed and wrenched himself free of the others' grips.

"Thel, this is _my_ fight!" She struggled more, and eventually, Thel seeing the coming enemy, released her to defend herself. Like a Helioskrill recognizing the presence of its prey, she broke free of his grasp and bounded forth with clenched fists.

She leaped up into the air, twisting her body and extending her leg as Sor crouched down. He crossed his arms over his head just before Kalika's heel bore into it. He stood very quickly, shoving her leg up and throwing her off balance. She fell back with a grunt as Sor quickly advanced. She rolled back over her shoulder and stood as Sor lashed out with a kick toward her. She twisted her body, brought her fists up, and dodged the kick as she swung her knee up in between his legs. (**23**)

Sor's entire body stiffened and a pained roar escaped his maw. He moved to bend over and hug his abdomen, but Kalika wouldn't let him. She pounded his stomach again and again with her armored gloves.

He began to stumble back as if he were in a daze. Kalika yelled as she threw a last heavy punch below his armored chest plate. Sor staggered again, slowly recovering. She walked forward for a moment, and then ran. Jumping into the air, she swung around and kicked him hard in his belly.

Sor fell back onto the ground with a cry of pain as Rtas shook his head. Thel looked on with an unreadable expression on his face; an expression he used often, quite recently. Kalika began to walk forward again. "Your brothers' blood still calls to be reclaimed, Honor Guard." She said as she panted heavily.

Sor pulled his plasma rifle swiftly from his thigh, aiming it at her unguarded head. She stopped immediately as Sor, too, panted and spoke in a loathsome tone, "No, _my Lady_... It is _my _blood that calls to be reclaimed now."

"What honor is there in this, 'Rolamee?" She asked with her often used icy glare.

"You forget, 'Vadamai. You are not Sangheili in my eyes. Consort of the heretic, or not."

His last sentences seemed to have bound the entire room in such an unsettling fog of silence that none dared to disturb it. For a long period of time, Kalika stared at the tip of his gun. The right side of her face was bleeding from his first uppercut. Her mandibles flared with heavy breaths that cleared away the thick fog of silence.

"How..." She began, speaking softly with an amused tone.

"..._valiant of you_."

With great speed, she swung her foot with an outside kick to his hand, sending the rifle flying. She kept his wrist in between her two toes and pinned his arm down across his chest. Sor attempted to grab her throat, but she craned her long neck and clamped her powerful jaws around his wrist. As her teeth ground into his suit, she twisted her other leg and drove her knee into the soft spot unguarded by armor directly beneath the middle of his ribcage. He cried out, trying to pry his wrist free as Kalika growled ferociously.

She leaned forward and clenched both hands around his throat, driving her knee deeper. He wrenched his wrist free, and with a powerful grip, he also wrapped his hand around her throat.

Sor roared, his black eyes ablaze with anger. Kalika drew one arm away from his throat slowly behind herself.

With a shriek of a roar, Kalika bared her pointed teeth and dug her sharp claws into his right eye. He immediately released her throat and frantically reached for his eye as he bellowed a cry of absolute suffering. Kalika dug her claws deep into his eye socket, refusing to release him as he grabbed at her arm.

But the more he tried to push her off or pull her away, the harsher she held on, enticing more agonizing screams of pain from the Honor Guard.

She eventually removed her bloody claws with a yank as she leaned down very closely toward his inner ear. She hissed silently, "Is the view still nice?"

She stood and disturbed him no more. Many pairs of eyes followed her across the room as she approached the Arbiter, who stared at her with an expression of slight disturbance.

One of the newer, younger recruits, a minor, turned away from the scene and lost a little of his latest meal.

"Come, Arbiter." Kalika said as she strode calmly toward the blue beams of light beneath the Phantoms. "We have a mission, do we not?"

Thel looked back at Sor, who still moaned on the floor. Rtas pressed two fingers to his shoulder to activate his communications. Shortly after, he approached Thel hesitantly and shook his head. "The Huragok (**24**) are on their way. Let us be off, Arbiter."

Thel leaned down and lifted Kalika's helmet from the floor. He looked up at the large gathering of Covenant soldiers watching him. He hesitated for a moment before following Rtas toward the Phantom.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Holy One." The High Chieftain's voice came muffled through the communications device on the Prophet of Truth's chair.

"What troubles you, Tartarus?" Truth asked quietly, gazing out at the blinking stars from the observatory deck.

"An Honor Guard attacked the female in the hangar. Many have seen the fight and know of her existence. How would you like for me to proceed?"

The Prophet of Truth was silent for a long time as he calmly observed the intricate designs of the Delta Halo ring.

"Once you have obtained the Sacred Icon..." He said, lost in thought for a moment.

He blinked casually, "Kill her. Kill all of the Elites."

"It shall be done, Holy Hierarch."

**Author's Notes**

22) In Sangheili society, blood is honor. The idea of losing blood is also a means of losing honor. This is why doctors are looked down upon, especially the patients who go to them.

23) Due to an obvious differentiation between human and Sangheili anatomy, a kick in between the legs is not as serious to a Sangheili male as it is to a human. However, it is still considered a sensitive and weaker spot.

24) Huragok, or more commonly known as Engineers, are another Covenant species that are more specialized in repairing not only machines, but as well as healing fatal wounds.


End file.
